James Copland Thorn Papers.

The James Copland Thorn Papers comprise of a compilation of Thorn's own observational drawings and notes, and (most prominently) copies of archive material which Thorn used for research in support of his publication 'The Necropolis of Cyrene: Two Hundred Years of Exploration' (2005). Many of the series within the fonds are connected to Alan Rowe, who led the original 1952–7 excavations from the University of Manchester, and whom Thorn chooses as his main focal point of analysis in his publication. This material has been collated by Thorn through means of contact with key individuals and/or museums associated.

D26 also contains additional information, notes, illustrations and photographs relating to the historiography of the excavations in Cyrene, and provides a record of Thorn's research methodology, alongside the progression of his thesis.

The image below is from D26/6/4/1/3 and shows rock-cut tombs from the necropolis at Cyrene.

James Thorn first visited Cyrene in 1981, whilst working as an archaeological illustrator fo Professor Donald White of Pennsylvania University recording architectural fragments discovered during excavation of the Demeter Sanctuary.

It was not until 1988 that Thorn returned to Cyrene, this time working alongside Professor Barri Jones (Manchester University) on a sponsered project to study the excavations of Alan Rowe in the 1950s.

From 1989 onwards Thorn worked to record all surviving artifacts in the necropolis to give a visual record, and to search for associated finds labels to enable Rowe's original register to be rebuilt through filling the gaps in the assemblages. This was then followed by the study of tombs and sarcophagi surveyed and excavated by Rowe.

Source: James Copland Thorn, "The Necropolis of Cyrene: Two Hundred Years of Exploration", (L'erma di Bretschneider, 2005).

Where possible, James Thorn's original order has been retained to preserve context. Where Thorn has collated material from archives belonging to individuals or museums, these have been retained in their original arrangement. Records within the series D26/3 - 15 therefore reflect Thorn's arrangement in grouping related files.

The fonds has been arranged into the following series:

(Drafts/publications)

1. The Necropolis of Cyrene: Two Hundred Years of Exploration

2. Thorn's Submission of Thesis

(Thorn's grouped series)

3. Herbert Weld-Blundell Papers

4. John Cassels Papers

5.Derek Buttle Papers

6. Frank Jowett Papers

7. British Museum Archive

8. Manchester Museum Archive

9. David Dixon Papers

10. Cyrene Museum Archive

11. Huntings Aerial Survey

12. Norton and Boston Archive

13. Alan Rowe Papers

(Other)

14. 'Parade' newspaper

15. Thorn's Research Methodology

16. Thorn's Library: Printed publications

17. Thorn's correspondence

18. Miscellaneous (records which do not fit into any of the previous series)

Available for general access

Please contact the BILNAS General Secretary on gensec@bilnas.org If you wish to consult the archive.