Mapping the Past: O. G. S. Crawford and the Development of Landscape Studies

O. G. S. Crawford (1886–1957) was a pioneer in the use of aerial photography for understanding the archaeological components of the landscape. He was also a field archaeologist in the British tradition and, with his appointment as Archaeology Officer at the Ordnance Survey in 1920, one of the first such field archaeologists to gain professional status. In this capacity Crawford realised to the full his passion for utilising maps as a means of recording and understanding the historic and prehistoric landscape, and laid firm foundations for the modern archaeological record in Britain. This article briefly reviews Crawford's life, his personality, his professional achievements and his role in the development of landscape archaeology.