Childe, V Gordon

Childe, V(ere) Gordon

(born April 14, 1892, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia—died Oct. 19, 1957, Mount Victoria, N.S.W.) Australian-British archaeologist. He taught at the University of Edinburgh (1927–46) and later directed the Institute of Archaeology at the University of London (1946–56). His study of European prehistory, especially in The Dawn of European Civilization (1925), sought to evaluate the relationship between Europe and the Middle East and to examine the structure and character of ancient cultures of the Western world. His later books included The Most Ancient Near East (1928) and The Danube in Prehistory (1929). His approach established a tradition of prehistoric studies.