Although best known as an archaeologist, William Greenwell (1820–1918) was also ordained as a priest and served as librarian of Durham Cathedral. A keen angler into his later years, he is known too for his creation of 'Greenwell's glory', a famous British trout fly. As an archaeologist, Greenwell excavated nearly 300 burial mounds, carrying out intensive fieldwork from 1862. First published in 1877, this work is a detailed account of some 230 Bronze Age barrows across England, largely in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Organised by parish, this work records these excavations, giving dimensions and descriptions of their form and finds. Accompanying the survey are contributions by the respected Oxford physician and physiologist George Rolleston (1829–81) describing the skulls found in the barrows. Featuring many illustrations of the finds, including the skulls, the book also contains an appendix discussing prehistoric flora and fauna.
