# Merrick Posnansky

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{{Short description|British archaeologist (1931–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Merrick Posnansky
| image              = Dr. M. Posnansky.jpg
| birth_date         = 8 March 1931
| death_date         = 29 September 2024
| education          = [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham)
| occupation         = [Historical archaeologist](/source/Historical_archaeologist)
| title              = President of the Uganda Society
| term               = 1964–1965
| predecessor        = B.E.R Kirwan
| successor          = Dr.W.B Banage
| spouse             = Eunice Nalubega
}}

'''Merrick Posnansky''' (8 March 1931 – 29 September 2024) was a British [archaeologist](/source/archaeologist).<ref>{{Cite web |last=webteam |date=8 October 2024 |title=Merrick Posnansky |url=https://history.ucla.edu/person/merrick-posnansky/ |access-date=20 November 2024 |website=UCLA Department of History |language=en-US}}</ref> He worked as a [curator](/source/curator) for the [Uganda Museum](/source/Uganda_Museum) and also served as the 31st president of the Uganda Society between 1964 and 1965<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=An Archaeologist at Work in African Prehistory and Early Human Studies: Teamwork and Insight |url=https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt3f59n89f;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=d0e19955&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e19955&brand=oac4 |access-date=6 March 2024 |website=oac.cdlib.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Uganda journal |url=https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00052/2 |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu |language=en}}</ref> 

== Education ==
Posnansky completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography at the University of Nottingham in 1952 and later a diploma in Prehistoric Archaeology at [Peterhouse](/source/Peterhouse%2C_Cambridge), University of Cambridge in 1953.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=De Corse |first=Christopher. R |date=2004 |title=J. C. Harrington Medal in Historical Archaeology : Merrick Posnansky |url=https://sha.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/38-2-01-Harrington.pdf |journal=Historical Archaeology |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=1-6}}</ref>

Under the supervision of [Henry Hurd Swinnerton](/source/Henry_Hurd_Swinnerton), he obtained his PhD in Archaeology from the University of Nottingham in 1956. According to his profile in the Historical ArchaeologyJournal, his research dealt with "the Pleistocene chronology and prehistoric archaeology of the English East Midlands while his dissertation covered some of the archaeology of more recent periods".<ref name=":2" />

== Career ==

=== Kenya ===
thumb|Dr. Merrick Posnansky at the Fadiouth shell-island cemetery, Sénégal (West Africa) 1967
Upon the suggestion of [Grahame Clark](/source/Grahame_Clark), Posnansky first travelled to Africa in 1956 to work for the Royal National Parks of Kenya as the Warden of Prehistoric Sites.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Saba |first=Alix |date=16 October 2024 |title=Merrick Posnansky (1931-2024) |url=https://africanstudies.org/in-memory/merrick-posnansky-1931-2024/ |access-date=20 November 2024 |website=African Studies Association Portal - ASA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> During this time, he excavated at the archaeological sites of  [Olorgesailie](/source/Olorgesailie) and Lanet while also conducting research<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saba |first=Alix |date=16 October 2024 |title=Merrick Posnansky (1931-2024) |url=https://africanstudies.org/in-memory/merrick-posnansky-1931-2024/ |access-date=20 November 2024 |website=African Studies Association Portal - ASA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Merrick Posnansky |url=https://www.international.ucla.edu/africa/person/67 |access-date=6 March 2024 |website=www.international.ucla.edu}}</ref>

=== Uganda ===
In 1958, Posnansky worked as curator at the Uganda Museum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 July 2020 |title=East African cities fighting for living heritage |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/east-african-cities-fighting-for-living-heritage-1380406 |access-date=6 March 2024 |website=The East African |language=en}}</ref> He held that position for four years. He worked as a Director of the African Studies Program at Makerere University College, Uganda.<ref name=":1" />

Upon his retirement in 1994, he returned to Uganda to conduct research and dug at Egyptian fort at [Dufile](/source/Dufile)<ref name=":3" />

=== Ghana ===
In 1967, Merrick moved to Ghana as a professor and chair of the Archaeology Department at the University of Ghana, Legon.<ref name=":2" /> 

He was Director of the Institute of Archaeology and the James S. Coleman African Studies Centre.<ref name=":1" />

== Awards ==
* 2003: [J.C Harrington Medal in Historical Archaeology](/source/J._C._Harrington_Award)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards and Prizes |url=https://sha.org/about-us/awards-and-prizes/ |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Society for Historical Archaeology |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Publications ==
'''Selected Articles''' 

* Posnansky, Merrick. (2010). "Aspects of Early West African Trade". ''World Archaeology.'' Volume 5, 1973, Issue 2: Trade. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1973.9979562 
* Posnansky, Merrick. (2010). "African archaeology comes of age." ''World Archaeology''. Volume 13, 1982, Issue 3: Regional traditions of archaeological research II. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1982.9979838
* Posnansky, Merrick. (2009). "Pottery Types from Archaeological sites in East Africa." ''The Journal of African History.'' Volume 2, Issue 2, July 1961, pp.177–98. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021853700002401 
* Posnansky, Merrick., & McIntosh, Roderick. (2009). "New Radiocarbon Dated for Northern and Western Africa". ''The Journal of African History.'' Volume 17, Issue 2, April 1976, pp.161–195. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021853700001286

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Posnansky, Merrick}}
Category:1931 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:British curators
Category:Presidents of The Uganda Society
Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham
Category:20th-century British archaeologists
Category:People from Bolton
Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merrick Posnansky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Posnansky) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Posnansky?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.