Molly Cotton

Mary Aylwin Cotton OBE, FSA, Hon FBA ( Marshall; 1902–1984), known as Molly Cotton, was a British archaeologist and former doctor, noted for her work in Iron Age Britain - particularly hill forts - and Roman Italy. She trained archaeology students at the British School at Rome.

In 1946, Cotton received an OBE for outstanding contributions to the war effort. In 1972, the Dr M. Aylwin Cotton Foundation was established to fund fellowships and publication grants for the study of archaeology.

She was married to Dr Thomas Forrest Cotton, a Canadian cardiologist.

Early life Mary Aylwin Marshall was born on 1 August 1902, on the Isle of Man. Her parents were Robert Marshall, a medical doctor, and Anna Elizabeth Marshall. She had a sister, Doris.

Medical career Molly Cotton was one of the first students to train at the London School of Medicine for Women, and St. Mary's Hospital. In 1928, she was working as a clinical assistant at the National Heart Hospital, where she met Thomas Forrest Cotton. The two married, and Molly retired from medicine. However, she remained honorary medical advisor to the National Children's Adoption Society until 1936.

Archaeology career In 1934, Molly Cotton began working on excavations at Maiden Castle, Dorset, with Tessa and Mortimer Wheeler. After Tessa's death in 1936, Cotton became deputy director of the site, alongside archaeologist Kitty Richardson. Items from her excavation are now displayed at Reading Museum.

Cotton worked in the Foreign Office, and the Far Eastern Department of the Ministry of Economic Warfare during World War II. In 1945 she received an OBE for her contributions to the war effort. 1951–1954, Cotton worked as Field Director at Clausentum. During this time, Cotton published numerous archaeological papers, focusing on Iron Age hill forts.

Her next projects were in Italy, excavating villas at Posto and San Rocco in Francolise, between 1962 and 1965. Here, she was directed by John Bryan Ward-Perkins and Peter von Blanckenhagen, "but essentially the project was hers".

Move to Italy After her husband's death in 1965, Cotton moved to Rome, where she lived in a flat on the Aventine. She became closely involved in the work of the British School at Rome, running the archaeological work room of the British School at Rome, known as the Camerone. In 1981, she was a Senior statesman at a Siena Congress, and attended a gathering of archaeologists in Italy, in Cambridge, in January 1984. Cotton "worked closely with both Wheelers and was fond of both", and actually informed Mortimer of his wife's death, waiting to intercept his train upon his return from France to ensure he heard the news before returning to London. Mortimer noted that "at Victoria I was met by Molly Cotton, a treasured friend and colleague of ours. For two days and nights she had met every continental train, not knowing which would be mine...in case I didn't know".

In her obituary, written by archaeologist Timothy W. Potter, Cotton was described as having a "happy and invigorating personality...Molly was always busy, cheerful and amazingly full of energy - and always helpful towards the young, not least the School's artists", referring to her work in the British School at Rome.

Publications

Cotton, M. 1947. Excavations at Silchester 1938–9. Archaeologia 92: 121–167. Cotton, M. 1979. The Late Republican Villa at Posto Francolise. London: British School at Rome. Cotton, M. and Gathercole, P. 1958. Excavations at Clausentum, Southampton, 1951–1954. London: H.M. Stationery Office. Cotton, M. and Métraux, G. 1985. The San Rocco villa at Francolise. London: British School at Rome. Wheeler, M., Richardson, K. and Cotton, M. 1957. Hill-forts of Northern France. Oxford: Printed at the University Press by Charles Batey for the Society of Antiquaries, London

List of excavations

1934-1938 - Maiden Castle, Dorset 1938-1939 - Calleva Atrebatum, Silchester 1948 - Hod Hill, Colchester 1949-1951 - Verulamium 1951-1954 - Clausentum 1953 - Weycock Hill 1954-1958 - undertook administration for Silchester site 1955-1961 - undertook administration for Verulamium site 1967 - Robin Hood's Arbour 1962-1965 - Posto and San Rocco, Francolise Villanovan cemetery of Quattro Fontanili at Veii. Casale Pian Roseto South Etruria Gravina Cozzo Presepe 1970 - Monte Irsi, Basilicata 1972 -1973 - Tuscania 1977 - Otranto