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Joan Mabel Frederica Du Plat Taylor
Joan du Plat Taylor.jpg
Born 26 June 1906
Died 1983 (1984) (aged 76)
Nationality British
Occupation Archaeologist
Known for Maritime Archaeology and establishing the Council for Nautical Archaeology

Joan Mabel Frederica du Plat Taylor (26 June 1906 – 1983) was a British archaeologist and pioneer of underwater nautical archaeology.

Early life and education

Joan Mabel Frederica Du Plat Taylor was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 26 June 1906. Her parents were Colonel St. John Louis Hyde du Plat Taylor and Alice Home-Purves and her grandfather was Colonel John Lowther du Plat Taylor CB VD (1829 – 5 March 1904). She had no formal training, but became one of the first maritime archaeologists.

Nautical archaeology

Joan du Plat Taylor at Cape Gelidonya
du Plat Taylor excavating a shipwreck at Cape Gelidonya in 1959.

She campaigned to bring nautical archaeology into the academic fold. She co-directed an excavation of an ancient shipwreck at Cape Gelidonya in 1960 alongside George Bass, was instrumental in establishing the Council for Nautical Archaeology and was founder editor of the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (IJNA) from 1972–1980. She also recognised that amateurs could play an important role in archaeology and established systems to educate and encourage them. She was the first president of the Nautical Archaeology Society.

She personally funded a grant to support publication of nautical archaeological research. Since her death, the award has continued to be given by the Nautical Archaeology Society as the Joan du Plat Taylor Award.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Joan du Plat Taylor para niños

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