Audrey Henshall

Audrey Shore Henshall (1927 – 14 December 2021) was a British archaeologist known for her work on Scottish chambered cairns, prehistoric pottery and early textiles.

Life and work Henshall was born in Oldham, Lancashire, in 1927. After leaving school, she moved to Scotland to study archaeology at University of Edinburgh under Stuart Piggott, graduating with an MA in 1949. She remained in Edinburgh for the rest of her life. In 1952, Audrey was appointed as an Assistant Curator at the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, now the National Museum of Scotland. From 1960 to 1971 she was the Assistant Keeper of Archaeology at the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. She was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1970. Audrey underpinned the Society's efforts in establishing the Archaeological Field Survey Team, the Urban Excavation Unit, and the Aberdeen Archaeology Unit. and in that same year she received an OBE "for services to archaeology". She has been called "a leading authority in a number of fields in early archaeology". Henshall died in Edinburgh on 14 December 2021, at the age of 94.

Chambered cairns Shortly after Henshall graduated with an MA from the University of Edinburgh, she returned to the Department of Archaeology, having been appointed a Research Fellow under the direction of Stuart Piggott. and together regarded as a "classic work of reference for the subject". The chambered tombs of Scotland. Vol. 1, Edinburgh University Press 1963 The chambered tombs of Scotland. Vol. 2, Edinburgh University Press 1972 The chambered cairns of Orkney: an inventory of the structures and their contents, with J.L. Davidson, Edinburgh University Press, 1989 The chambered cairns of Caithness: an inventory of the structures and their contents, with J.L. Davidson, Edinburgh University Press, 1991 The chambered cairns of Sutherland: an inventory of the structures and their contents, with J.N.G. Ritchie. Edinburgh University Press 1995 The chambered cairns of the Central Highlands: an inventory of the structures and their contents, with J.N.G. Ritchie. Edinburgh University Press 2001

Henshall also published: A Long Cist Cemetery at Parkburn Sand Pit, Lasswade, Midlothian. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; 89, 1958 Notes: (4) A Dagger Grave from the Law of Mauldslie, Carluke, Lanarkshire. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; 95, 1964 The Excavation of a Chambered Cairn at Embo, Sutherland with J C Wallace. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; 96, 1965 Notes: (6) The Jet Necklace Found at Greenhowe, Pluscarden Moray. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; 98, 1967 Scottish chambered tombs and long mounds. In Renfrew, Colin, British Prehistory, Duckworth, 1974

Prehistoric pottery Henshall was knowledgeable about prehistoric pottery, Some of her articles on pottery can be found in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, for example, articles on: Notes: (1) Neolithic Sherds from Dalkeith (vol.98) Notes: (4) A Food Vessel and Part of a Jet Necklace from Ardfin Forest, Jura, Argyll. (vol.98) Notes: (5) A Food-Vessel from Carsegour Farm, Kinross (vol.98) Notes: (1) Three Beakers from Cawdor Area, Nairnshire (vol.99)

Early textiles

While working as Assistant Curator at the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, Audrey developed an interest in prehistoric and later textiles. Much of her work on textiles was published in the 1950s and 1960s. In this she was encouraged by the expert Grace Crowfoot with whom she co-authored several articles. Her work on the Gunnister Man's 300-year-old clothing found in a peat bog in Shetland attracted wide interest as did her identification of colours used in centuries-old textiles. The tartan pattern discovered at Dungiven led to the revival of "an authentic early 17th century tartan". Descriptions of early textiles and clothing designs arising from her forensic examination have been said to be amongst her "most fascinating work". Early textiles Found in Scotland. Part II Medieval Imports with Grace M Crowfoot and John Beckworth. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; 88, 1956 The Dungiven costume: (a study of 17th century native dress in Ulster) with Wilfred Seaby. With contributions by A.T. Lucas, A.G. Smith and A. Connor. Ulster Journal of Archaeology. vols. 24–25 (1961–62) Five tablet-woven seal tags, Royal Archaeological Institute 1965 More of her articles on textiles can be found in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, for example: Early Textiles Found in Scotland. Part I: Locally Made (vol. 86) Early textiles Found in Scotland. Part II Medieval Imports with Grace M Crowfoot and John Beckworth (vol.88) A Long Cist Cemetery at Parkburn Sand Pit, Lasswade, Midlothian (vol.89) The Excavation of a Chambered Cairn at Embo, Sutherland with J C Wallace. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (vol.96) Clothing Found at Huntsgarth, Orkney (Vol. 101)