Ein gut Theil Eigenheit - The lives of early female archaeologists

"Ein gut Theil Eigenheit" - by this the archaeologist Johanna Mestorf (1828-1909) meant that her research was based on her own ideas and discoveries. In contrast to their male colleagues, early female archaeologists are often not part of (scientific) memory.
Women have been working as archaeologists since the late 18th century. Long before women were admitted to universities, long before archaeology was established as an academic subject, they collected, excavated, drew, photographed, catalogued, inventoried, wrote scientific works and developed new methods in the process. In doing so, they created important foundations for archaeology. Many of these women were highly regarded in their day for their expertise and contributions to science. Others remained in the shadow of their husbands or superiors. Today, they and their pioneering achievements are hardly known to the public.
One of the aims of this travelling exhibition is to make the lives and achievements of nine selected women visible.
In addition to the biographies that are already part of the travelling exhibition, our focus at the Abgussmuseum is on the life of the classical archaeologist Ingeborg Scheibler. She managed and shaped the Munich collection during the important years of reconstruction from 1966 to 1991.

Last edited on 26.05.2025