Aylward Manley Blackman | |
---|---|
Born |
Dawlish, Devon, England |
30 January 1883
Died | 9 March 1956 Abergele, Conwy, Wales |
(aged 73)
Nationality | British |
Academic background | |
Education | St Paul's School; The Queen's College, Oxford |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Egyptologist |
Aylward Manley Blackman, FBA (30 January 1883 – 9 March 1956) was a British Egyptologist, who excavated various sites in Egypt and Nubian, notably Buhen and Meir.
Blackman was born in Dawlish, Devon, the eldest son of Rev. James Henry Blackman and Mary Anne Blackman (née Jacob). He was educated at home and his interest in archaeology was inspired by his father, a keen amateur archaeologist who created archaeological digs by burying home made 'tablets' for his children to discover. Aylward's oldest sister, Winifred Susan Blackman, (1872-1950), also became an Egyptologist. He joined St Paul's School at the age of sixteen and gained a scholarship to study at Queen's College, Oxford. At Oxford, Blackman was a pupil of Francis Llewellyn Griffith, and graduated with a First Class degree in Oriental Studies in 1906.
After graduation, Blackman worked in Nubia as an assistant on Reisner's Archaeological Survey of Nubia, 1907-1908, and the excavation of Buhen by the University of Pennsylvania. Blackman also carried out a survey of the temples of Nubia, including the temples at Biga, Dendur, and Derr. He was unable to complete the survey after he suffered a major attack of Typhoid fever at Gerf Hussein, which affected his health for the rest of his life. Due to his research, Blackman was appointed the Oxford Nubian Research Fellow and assisted Griffith in his excavation of Farras.
Blackman was the Laycock Fellow of Egyptology at Worcester College, Oxford from 1912-1934. During this period he became closely associated with the Egypt Exploration Society and was a member of the Society's committee for many years. On behalf of the Society, he directed the excavation of Meir, (1912-1914, 1921, 1949-1950) and the excavation of Sesebi, Sudan, (1936-1937).