Professor Colin Renfrew – the passing of a truly great archaeologist

It was with great sadness that we learnt yesterday of the passing of Professor Lord Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, who has died at the age of 87.

No doubt the next few days will see others struggling to catch the achievements of one of the truly great archaeologists of the modern era. It will be a hard task indeed.

Colin did more than anyone to champion and to shape the discipline as we know it today.

In the vanguard of theoretical debate throughout his career, he was instrumental in the development of sophisticated arguments about the explanation of social and political change in the past. One of the first to effectively communicate the implications of radiocarbon dating for our understanding of European prehistory, he also led the way in establishing new approaches to prehistoric exchange systems, and to the long-term evolution of European languages.

As if that was not enough, he had a passionate and deeply knowledgeable interest in contemporary art and was one of the first to write in a substantive way about the common concerns that animated the work of artists and archaeologists. And all of this while offering support to the next generation; through his teaching and writing, and through his capacity to offer the right words of encouragement when they were most needed. 

Inevitably, we find ourselves thinking about his legacy from an Orcadian perspective.

Colin worked in Orkney in the 1970s and developed an abiding passion for the region and its archaeology. Through his work at sites such as Quanterness, Maeshowe and the Ring of Brodgar, he brought the region into the heart of wider debate about the nature of the Neolithic world, creating models that continue to inform our thinking today.

And at a time when it was not considered important to do so, he paid proper attention to local communities, giving numerous public lectures and inviting folk back to the dig house for evenings of food, drink and the words of local poets. It is a testament to his generosity of spirit that he remains so widely and fondly remembered in the county.

Colin was also a keen supporter of the Ness, and we cherish warm memories of the visit that he and Jane made to the site back in 2015. It was a warm and sunny day – remember those – and the conversation flowed as we moved around the trenches.

The questions came thick and fast, both Colin and Jane making comparisons with other sites in Orkney and challenging us on the details of our interpretations. It was debate as it should be: open, constructive, free-flowing and generous.

We are fortunate indeed to have received that gift and we offer our deepest condolences to Jane, Helena, Alban and Magnus.