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Happy Birthday, Harriet Boyd-Hawes (and me!)
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Born on this day in 1871, in Boston, Massachusetts, Boyd-Hawes became a nurse and relief worker and an archeologist. She did graduate work in Athens, Greece, and also volunteered her nursing skills during the Greco-Turkish war. She wanted to work on the university’s archeological dig, but as a woman she faced the usual advice—no, stay here indoors, become an academic librarian. She decided to go off on her own to the island of Crete to look for archeological remains.
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That was a brave move, because the war had only just stopped, and things weren’t too stable on Crete.
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She discovered a Minoan settlement and palace site and became known for her archeological expertise. She is listed as the first director of an archeological excavation to discover Early Bronze Age Minoan remains and as the first woman to head up an archeological excavation. (She had more than 100 people working under her lead, at one point.)
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Boyd-Hawes ended up teaching Greek archeology at a university, making many more discoveries on Crete, and becoming the first woman to speak at the Archeological Institute of America. All while she was raising her family with her archeologist/university professor husband!
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During World War I, Boyd-Hawes went to Corfu with supplies for the Serbian army and wounded and then went on to help the wounded in France.
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I am definitely proud to share my birthday with Harriet Boyd-Hawes!
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Learn about… n
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…Ancient Greece
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