Wheeler, Sir (Robert Eric) Mortimer 1890-1976
English archaeologist

Born in Glasgow, and educated at Bradford and London, he became director of the National Museum of Wales (1920), and keeper of the London Museum (1926-44). He carried out notable excavations in Great Britain at Verulamium (St Albans) and Maiden Castle, and from 1944to 1947 was director-general of archaeology in India, and worked to particular effect at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. He then became Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Provinces at the newly founded Institute of Archaeology in London (1948-55). Knighted in 1952, he was well known for spirited popular accounts of his subject, in books and on television. His works include Archaeology from the Earth (1954), and the autobiographical Still Digging (1955).

Bibliography: Ronald W Clark, Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1960)