Evans, Arthur

Basic Biographical Information

Arthur John Evans was born on 8 July 1851 at the Red House, Nash Mills, Hertfordshire (Brown 1993: 11). He died at the age of 19, on 11 July 1941, but not before he became a well-known archaeologist for his discovery of the Palace of Minos at Knossos (Ashmolean Museum 2012). Evans was John Evans’ eldest child. John Evans was also a well-known archaeologist as well as a numismatist, geologist, and collector of antiquities (Brown 1993: 11). As this was the case, Arthur Evans was brought up surrounded by archaeology and history-related subjects. This sparked his interest in such a career at a young age. At the age of 9, Evans accompanied his father on expeditions and his interest in archaeology grew (Brown 1993: 11).

Arthur Evans was educated at Harrow School and went on to study at Brasenose College in Oxford. Even though his school achievements are academically modest, Evans won prizes for English poems and Greek epigrams he had written (Brown 1993: 11)....