Jane Renfrew

{{Short description|British archaeologist and paleoethnobotanist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox academic | honorific_prefix = | name = Lady Renfrew of Kaimsthorn | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|FSA|FSAs}} | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Jane Margaret Ewbank | birth_date =  | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | region = | occupation = Archaeologist | period = | known_for = | title = | boards =  | religion =  | denomination =  | spouse = Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn | awards =  | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | education = | alma_mater = Murray Edwards College, Cambridge | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | school_tradition = | doctoral_advisor = | influences =  | era = | discipline = Archaeology | sub_discipline = {{Plainlist| * Paleoethnobotany * History of food and wine }} | workplaces = {{Plainlist| * Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge * McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research }} | doctoral_students = | notable_students =  | main_interests = | notable_works = ''Palaeoethnobotany: The Prehistoric Food Plants of the Near East and Europe'' | notable_ideas = | influenced =  | website = | footnotes = | movement =  }}

'''Jane Renfrew, Lady Renfrew of Kaimsthorn''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|FSA|FSAs}} is a British archaeologist and paleoethnobotanist noted for her studies on the use of plants in prehistory, the origin and development of agriculture, food and wine in antiquity, and the origin of the vine and wine in the Mediterranean.<ref name="macdonald-archaeology-2013-2014" />

==Biography== Since a young age she has shown an interest in the past, having participated in her first archaeological excavation when she was just 12 years old.<ref name=origins-janerenfrew />

As an undergraduate at New Hall, Cambridge, she published her first book entitled "Antiquary on Horseback" (1963),<ref name=hebblethwaite-Antiquary_on_Horseback /> with her maiden name. The volume resulted from transcribing and editing manuscripts left by Thomas Machell, rector of Kirkby Thore, Cumbria. During this period she also gained an interest in botany, and consequently paleoethnobotany. At Cambridge she met Colin Renfrew, with whom she married and had 3 children.

She took part in excavations in Greece (Nea Nikomedeia, Saliagos and Sitagroi)<ref name=colin_etal-1986 /> and the Balkans and during this time collected seeds<ref name=chapman-2004 /> both at excavations and museums in the region, samples which would be the basis for her doctoral thesis at Cambridge.<ref name=origins-presentation />

Between 1967–1972, she was a lecturer in the Department of Ancient History, at the University of Sheffield and later was a Visiting Lecturer at the Department of Archaeology of the University of Southampton.<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2012" />

In 1981, she returned to Cambridge, where she was a Fellow and Director of Studies of Archaeology Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge<ref name="johntempleton" /> and the Master's wife at Jesus College (1986-1997).<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2012" /> At Lucy Cavendish College she has also held the positions of Vice-President, Secretary to the Governing Body, Tutor, College Lecturer, Fellow Librarian, Secretary to the Trustees and as Garden Steward.<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2012" /> As Garden steward she was responsible for creating in 1987 the "Anglo-Saxon Herb Garden" (a collection of plants used before 1066), which is open to the general public.<ref name=lucycavendish_garden />

In 2012 she donated a large part of her private library to Archaeological Unit and Botanical Gardens Library of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2015" /><ref name="utadmedal" /><ref name="origins-presentation" /> In acknowledgement of her donation, her work in the field of archaeology and paleoethnobotany, as well as her role in the boards of Kew Gardens and Cambridge Botanical Garden<ref name="origins-presentation" /><ref name="utadmedal" /> the prehistoric garden (called "Ages of Man" / ''Idades do Homem'') was created at the University's Botanical Gardens in her honour, which she inaugurated in 2013.<ref name="jbutad-prehistoricgarden" />

Presently she is a Senior Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research<ref name="mcdonald-emeritus" /> and Emeritus Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.<ref name="lucycavendish-emeritusfellows" />

== Positions == * Emeritus Fellow and previously Director of Studies of Archaeology and De Brye College Lecturer in Archaeology of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge (since 1984–) * Senior Fellow at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (Senior Fellow since ...) * President of the International Workgroup for Paleoethnobotany (1983-1986) * Vice-president of The Prehistoric Society (1986–1989) * Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1991–1997)<ref name=origins-janerenfrew /> * Trustee of the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust (1993–present) * Syndic of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden (since 1999)<ref name=unibotgarden-annualreview2011-2012 /> * Lecturer, Department of Ancient History, University of Sheffield (1967–1972) * Visiting Lecturer, Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton (1978–1981) * Master's wife, Jesus College, Cambridge (1986–1997) * Member, Cambridgeshire Police Authority (1989–1999)<ref name=lucycavendish-annualreview2012 /> * Governor, King's Ely (1989–1998)<ref name=lucycavendish-annualreview2012 /> * Governor, British School in Colombo, Sri Lanka (1996–2001)<ref name=origins-janerenfrew /> * Chairman of the Southacre, Latham and Chaucer Road Residents' Association (SOLACHRA) (1999–2002)<ref name=origins-janerenfrew /> * Member of the Jury, British Archaeology Awards (since 1990)<ref name=origins-janerenfrew />

== Awards and accolades == The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust funded the creation of a wildlife pond at Lucy Cavendish in recognition of her contribution to the Lucy Cavendish College, its gardens and the University of Cambridge.<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2014" />

The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) gave her a Medal of Honour in recognition for the donation of her personal library (with books in archaeology, prehistory, history, botany, biology and related sciences) to the Archaeological Unit, Department of Geology and the Botanical Gardens of UTAD.<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2015" /><ref name=utadmedal /><ref name=origins-presentation />

== Publications == * Renfrew, Jane, 1973, ''Paleoethnobotany, the prehistoric food plants of the Near East and Europe'', Methuen, London / Columbia University Press, New York. * Renfrew, Jane, 1985a, ''Food and Cooking in Prehistoric Britain.'' English Heritage. * Renfrew, Jane, 1985b, ''Food and Cooking in Roman Britain.'' English Heritage. * Renfrew, Jane, 1991, ''New light on early farming: recent developments in paleoethnobotany''. Edinburgh University Press. * Renfrew, Jane; Renfrew, Magnus and Rose, John K., 1996,. ''Rus in Urbe: Chaucer Road and Latham Road: the History of Two Rural Roads in Cambridge.'' SOLACHRA. * Renfrew, Jane, 2005, ''Prehistoric Cookery: Recipes and History.'' English Heritage. * Renfrew, Jane, 2006, ''Food and feasting in antiquity.'' Antiquity, 80(310):1000–1003.

== References ==

<ref name="macdonald-archaeology-2013-2014">{{cite web|title=Archaeology at Cambridge 2013-2014|url=http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/publications/publication-images/annual-reports/annualreport2013|publisher=McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name=hebblethwaite-Antiquary_on_Horseback>{{cite web|last1=Hebblethwaite|first1=John|title=Antiquary on Horseback|url=http://www.hebblethwaites.net/antiquaryonhorseback.htm|website=Hebblethwaite Family History Website|accessdate=22 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="mcdonald-emeritus">{{cite web|title=McDonald Institute Senior Fellows|url=http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/people/senior-fellows|publisher=McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="lucycavendish-emeritusfellows">{{cite web|title=Emeritus fellows|url=http://www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/emeritus-fellows/|publisher=Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge|accessdate=22 December 2016|archive-date=17 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017145548/http://www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/emeritus-fellows/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2012">{{cite web|title=Lucy Cavendish College, Annual Review 2012|url=https://issuu.com/lucycavendishcollege/docs/finished_copy_of_annual_review|website=Issuu|publisher=Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2014">{{cite web|title=Lucy Cavendish College Annual Review 2014|url=https://issuu.com/lucycavendishcollege/docs/final_annual_review_2013_14|website=Issuu|publisher=Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="lucycavendish-annualreview2015">{{cite web|title=Lucy Cavendish College Annual Review 2015|url=http://www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/assets/images/Annual_Review_2015.pdf|publisher=Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<ref name="unibotgarden-annualreview2011-2012">{{cite web|title=University Botanic Garden Annual Report 2011-2012|url=https://issuu.com/cu_botanic_garden/docs/anrep_1112|website=Issuu|publisher=University Botanic Garden, University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name=utadmedal>{{cite web|title=O Douro em Cambridge|url=http://www.utad.pt/vPT/Area2/noticias/Paginas/O-Douro-em-Cambridge.aspx|publisher=Universidadede Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro|accessdate=22 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name=origins-presentation>{{cite web|title=DOURO in CAMBRIDGE - an afternoon in honour of Lady Jane Renfrew - Presentation|url=http://origins.utad.pt/events/dourocambridge/presentation.html|accessdate=22 December 2016}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

<ref name=origins-janerenfrew>{{cite web|title=DOURO In CAMBRIDGE - DOURO em CAMBRIDGE - Jane Renfrew|url=http://origins.utad.pt/events/dourocambridge/renfrew.html|accessdate=27 December 2016}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

<ref name="johntempleton">{{cite web|title="Participants: Jane M. Renfrew"|url=http://humbleapproach.templeton.org/Innovations_Material_Spiritual_Cultures/participants10.html|website=Innovations in Material and Spiritual Cultures: Exploring the Conjectured Links|publisher=John Templeton Foundation|accessdate=23 December 2016|archive-date=3 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403100538/http://humbleapproach.templeton.org/Innovations_Material_Spiritual_Cultures/participants10.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=colin_etal-1986>{{cite book|editor1-last=Renfrew|editor1-first=Colin|editor2-last=Gimbutas|editor2-first=Marija|editor3-last=Elster|editor3-first=Ernestine S.|title=Excavations at Sitagroi, a prehistoric village in Northeast Greece|date=1986|publisher=Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles|location=Los Angeles|isbn=0-917956-51-6|url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38t6f3m0}}</ref>

<ref name=chapman-2004>{{cite web|last1=Chapman|first1=John|title=Boork Review: Prehistoric Sitagroi: Excavations in Northeast Greece, 1968-1970. Volume 2: The Final Report edited by ERNESTINE E. ELSTER and COLIN RENFREW|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prehistoric/reviews/04_05_elster.htm|publisher=The Prehistoric Society|accessdate=22 December 2016}}</ref>

<ref name=lucycavendish_garden>{{cite web|title=Anglo-Saxon Herb Garden|url=http://www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/college-life/facilities/anglo-saxon-herb-garden/|publisher=Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge|accessdate=22 December 2016|archive-date=23 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223140501/http://www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/college-life/facilities/anglo-saxon-herb-garden/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="jbutad-prehistoricgarden">{{cite web|title=Colecção temática As Idades do Homem|url=http://jb.utad.pt/ctematicas/as_idades_do_homem|website=UTAD Jardim Botânico|publisher=Botanical Gardens - UTAD|accessdate=23 December 2016}}</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Renfrew, Jane}} Category:Living people Category:Academics of the University of Cambridge Category:Alumni of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge Category:English archaeologists Category:Fellows of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Category:Archaeobotanists Category:British women archaeologists Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Category:British women historians Category:Year of birth missing (living people)