Renowned Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp to receive a Blue Plaque in South Tyneside commemoration
Pioneering Archaeologist Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp Honoured in South Tyneside
Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp, a trailblazer in Anglo-Saxon and early medieval archaeology, will be commemorated as part of South Tyneside's Blue Plaque scheme. Known for her groundbreaking work, Cramp was the first female professor at Durham University and co-founder of the university's Archaeology Department.
Cramp's most notable contribution was the establishment and leadership of the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture research project. This project, which continues to this day, is the first comprehensive catalogue of the surviving stone sculpture from pre-Conquest England. It has significantly advanced the study of Anglo-Saxon art and culture, recording many previously inaccessible pieces.
Cramp's work at Durham University has been instrumental in the university's rise as a leading centre for archaeology. Ranked 10th in the world (QS World University Rankings by subject 2023), the Department of Archaeology at Durham University has become a hub for the study of archaeology.
Cramp's archaeological work was not limited to the university. She led important excavations at monastic sites such as Jarrow, providing crucial insights into early medieval monastic life and farming practices. Her work has been foundational in understanding Anglo-Saxon archaeology in Britain.
Rosemary's commemorative plaque will be installed at Jarrow Hall, a museum that grew out of her team's excavations and Anglo-Saxon discoveries at the site. The plaque will serve as a testament to her significant impact on the local history and heritage of Durham.
Interested in following in Cramp's footsteps? Explore the Archaeology webpages and undergraduate courses at Durham University. The university continues to celebrate Cramp's legacy through The Rosemary Cramp Fund, a research fund set up upon her retirement.
For those wishing to learn more about Cramp, a collection of memories is available. Her eulogy, given at her memorial service by Professor Anthony Harding, offers a poignant reflection on her life and work.
[1] "Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp (1927-2020)", Durham University, https://www.dur.ac.uk/news/2020/05/12/professor-dame-rosemary-cramp-1927-2020/
[2] "Rosemary Cramp", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/7446
[3] "Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture", Durham University, https://cas.dur.ac.uk/
[4] "Jarrow Anglo-Saxon Farmstead", Jarrow Hall, https://www.jarrowhall.org.uk/jarrow-anglo-saxon-farmstead/
- In the realm of science and education, lifelong learning is evidenced through the Rosemary Cramp Fund at Durham University, established to support archaeology research.
- The study of women's health, specifically menopause, might also benefit from a scientist's perspective as Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp, a pioneer in her field, has demonstrated in her archaeological work.
- To promote health-and-wellness and mental-health, one could seek therapies-and-treatments inspired by the example of Rosemary Cramp, who stood against societal norms to become the first female professor at Durham University.
- With a focus on education-and-self-development, one might turn to space-and-astronomy as a field of study, following in the footsteps of Cramp, who pushed boundaries in her archaeological pursuits while leading at a top-rated institution.
- Inspired by the commemoration of Rosemary Cramp, visionaries in the health-and-wellness sector could strive to initiate similar projects enumerating and cataloguing significant works in their respective fields, akin to her establishment and leadership of the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture research project.
