The Coulson archives in the Laboratory of Archaeology of the University of Thessaly.
The Coulson archives in the Laboratory of Archaeology of the University of Thessaly.
The Coulson Archives are the personal archives of the late professor W.D.E. Coulson, which together with his library were donated to the Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology of the University of Thessaly and its Laboratory of Archaeology.
The Archives consist mainly of various documents in folders (correspondence, applications, reports, lectures, articles), books, periodicals and various journals, offprints, notebooks, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, videos and some personal objects (such as a camera or his designing tools). These folders and objects (about 1700–1800 objects) form larger categories.
The first category consists of a great number of drawings. Most of them are pottery profiles, architectural or topographic plans. Usually they do not carry identifying information but they are related to the excavation projects that W.D.E Coulson was involved in (Halasmenos, Kavousi, Nichoria, Naukratis). Part of them has already been published in his books and articles.
Photographs, negatives, contacts and mainly slides are related to Coulson's excavation projects or other archaeological sites. Several are also connected to his field trips or his academic material. Some of the slides and photographs depict Coulson's personal and family life.
There is a large number of folders which are related to excavation projects in which Coulson participated. These projects are the excavation in Chalasmenos (Crete), Kavousi (Crete), Nichoria (Messenia) and Naukratis in Egypt. The folders containing excavation data may consist of excavation field journals, excavation data and catalogues, reports, articles, drawings, photos, negatives, contacts, slides and videos, correspondence on organizing, administrative, financial or scientific issues, various documents (for example building-lease contracts, or research permissions), applications (including applications for funding), lectures etc.
Unpublished attempt of reconstruction of Unit IV-1 at Nichoria from the Coulson archives.
A large number of files contains material related to various Cretan sites (Symi Viannou, Mirabello Bay, Gournia, Nirou Chani, etc.) such as books, offprints of articles, reports, lectures, fieldtrips, correspondence, photographs and slides, notes and drawings etc.
Another extensive group of files concerns material of various conferences such as abstracts, programs, invitations, brochures, relevant correspondence, articles, photographs as well as Coulson's papers on various themes or those of other scholars.
A large category of files contains material of Coulson's academic life. In this group there is material of both Coulson as a student and as a professor. These folders contain notebooks, essays (Coulson's or of his students), notes, handouts, exam sheets, slide lists, offprints, correspondence, bibliographies, articles, drafts of Coulson's Ph.D. thesis, lecture notes and diagrams, lesson programs and syllabi, drawings, ancient text fragments and book photocopies, all related to specific courses.
The next large group of files is related to trips mainly at archaeological sites or other places. These folders contain notebooks and notes, offprints, articles, guides, reports, brochures, maps, trip programs, bibliographies and drawings of the sites, correspondence, cartes de visite, etc.
Another great number of files concern mainly the written scientific work of Coulson or other scholars' in varous forms (drafts, manuscripts, print outs, various photocopies) and published works of books photocopies, offprints, reports and article reviews. This material is often accompanied by drawings and relevant correspondence.
There are also many folders which contain photocopies of whole books or part of them on various archaeological themes.
Lastly, the Archives include Coulson's Ph.D. thesis (Studies in chapters 34 and 36 of Pliny the Elder's Natural History, 1968), as well as a few other diploma essays.