CHILDE, Vere Gordon. Sydney 14.4.1892 — Blackheath, NSW, Australia 19.10.1957. Australian Archaeologist and Historian in the U.K. Son of the Rev. Stephen Henry Childe (1844–1923) and Harriet Eliza Gordon (1853–1910), a middle-class English migrant family. Educated at Church of England Grammar School in Sydney, studied classics at Sydney University. In 1914 came to England and studied at Queen’s College in Oxford. B.Litt. 1916. Active in politics as socialist he could not get academic position when returned to Australia in 1917 and worked instead as private secretary of a Labour politician. In 1921 back to England, in 1925 became librarian of Royal Anthropological Institute. In 1927-46 Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at Edinburgh. In 1947-56 director of the Institute of Archaeology, London, then retired and returned to Australia. Hon dr. 1936 Harvard (literature) and 1937 Pennsylvania State University (science), hon. D.Litt. 1957 Sydney. He feared old age and committed suicide. Unmarried.
Childe was a famous historian, especially of prehistoric Europe, for whom the Indus civilization was only a side interest. During Edinburgh time he concentrated on Neolithic excavations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. He remained committed to socialist ideas and adopted Marxism, which he also applied to his studies. Also a Pacifist.. Committed suicide.
Publications: Much on (pre)history unrelated to India, altogether he wrote some 20 books and 200 papers.
– The Aryans. A Study of Indo-European Origins. 13+221 p. L. 1926.
– The Most Ancient East: The Oriental Prelude to European Prehistory. 272 p. L. 1929, rev. as New Light on the Most Ancient East. 18+326 p. 32 pl. L. 1934, and further editions (on the Near East and India).
– “India and the West before Darius”, Antiquity 13, 1939, 5-15; “Megaliths”, Ancient India 4, 1947-48, 4-13.
Sources: J. Allen, Austr. Dict. of Biogr. 7, 1979 (online) with photo; *S. Green, Prehistorian. A Biography of V.G.Ch. Wiltshire 1981 with full bibliography; *B. McNairn, The Method and Theory of V.G.Ch. Edinburgh 1980; *Br. Trigger, G.Ch. Revolutions in Archaeology. L. 1980; Who Was Who 1951-60; Wikipedia with photo and references, a very long and detailed article.
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