author
Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister
1870–1950
An energetic Irish archaeologist with one foot in ancient Ireland and the other in the biblical world, he helped shape early archaeology through fieldwork, teaching, and a huge volume of writing. His career ranged from major excavations in Palestine to decades as a leading professor in Dublin.
1 Audiobook
Ecclesiastical Vestments: Their development and history
by Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister
About the author
Born in Dublin on 8 July 1870, Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister became one of the best-known Irish archaeologists of his time. He studied at Cambridge and first developed a strong interest in Irish archaeology before taking on excavation work in Palestine for the Palestine Exploration Fund. He is especially remembered for his work at Gezer, which brought him international attention.
Macalister's interests were remarkably wide. Alongside his fieldwork in the Near East, he wrote extensively on Irish archaeology, Celtic studies, epigraphy, and folklore. In 1909 he became professor of Celtic archaeology at University College Dublin, a position he held until 1943, and his long teaching career helped influence generations of students.
He died on 26 April 1950. Although some of his archaeological methods belong to an earlier era, his energy, range, and output made him a major figure in both Irish scholarship and the study of the ancient Near East.