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Introduction
The Society for Libyan Studies archive was established in 1988 at the University of Newcastle but has recently been moved to the University of Leicester, where there is currently a much larger community of students and academics following research on Libyan-focused subjects. This move has provoked a re-organisation and re-assessment of the material, which has enormous research and outreach potential, particularly through the use of digital storage and dissemination. The aim of this article is, therefore, to draw attention to the research opportunities available in order to encourage students and scholars alike to visit and use the archive. We would like to encourage researchers to bid for funding, from the Society and elsewhere, to exploit the rich resources that are lurking within this collection, to bring them to a much wider audience.
The archive forms an important resource of documents, photographs, drawings, maps and ceramic material, with many of the major collections coming from deceased scholars such as Kathleen Kenyon, John Ward-Perkins, Olwen Brogan, Barri Jones, Charles Daniels and John Dore. Others have donated their work, such as John Riley and Martyn Webb, and David Mattingly's material from excavations in Fazzan is gradually being added as the publications are completed. Not only are these figures significant contributors to the history and archaeology of Libya, but they were a set of truly pioneering, immensely interesting and often eccentric characters.
Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon learnt many of her techniques from Mortimer Wheeler, when she worked under his supervision at Verulamium. She is best known for her work in Jericho, where her analysis of the stratified pottery allowed her to make ground-breaking discoveries about the continuity of the ancient settlement there. In Libya, she used her ceramic skills at the excavations at Sabratha in 1948, 49 and 51, which she co-directed with John Ward-Perkins.
John Ward-Perkins
John Ward-Perkins first became acquainted with Libya during the Second World War, when serving in an anti-aircraft regiment commanded by (Col.) Mortimer Wheeler. He was already an experienced archaeologist and spotted a Roman pottery kiln near Lepcis Magna from his military vehicle, which was later recorded by Richard Goodchild. After the war he was appointed Director of the British School...