Research on the Institute of Archaeology Library Archive has unearthed a number of letters written by Kathleen Kenyon during her early career as Secretary and later Acting Director of the Institute of Archaeology, 1935-1947. These letters shed light on Kenyon’s early career and the importance of her role in the newly founded Institute of Archaeology. They reveal the versatility required of her, with responsibilities ranging from sorting out drains to collecting library books, giving tours, negotiating funds and stepping in for Mortimer Wheeler. Kenyon’s capacity for hard work and her efficiency are clearly visible and her passion for archaeology and her fierce devotion to the Institute shine through. The letters also demonstrate Kenyon’s lesser known kindness, charm, tact and ability to deal with difficult people and situations. The letters also reveal the vibrancy of the amateur archaeological community between the wars and the hard, unglamorous and unacknowledged work done by administrators and volunteers. Many of the administrators that Kenyon worked with were women, who like Kenyon came to adulthood in the inter-war period, when opportunities for women were expanding. The language of these letters reveals that these were New Women – worldly wise, briskly competent, ironic, unemotional and self-controlled, women who represented a new model of modernity for the 20th century. But modernity did not guarantee success and there are hints that although Kenyon owed much to her father, Sir Frederick Kenyon, this relationship also constrained her and she had to work hard to establish her own independence and authority as an archaeologist.

中文翻译：

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“一个很棒的工作”。凯瑟琳·凯尼恩（Kathleen Kenyon），1935-1947年任伦敦大学考古研究所秘书兼代理所长。

考古学院图书馆档案馆的研究发现了凯瑟琳·肯尼恩（Kathleen Kenyon）在其早期职业生涯中担任秘书，后来在1935-1947年担任考古研究所代理所长的信。这些信件阐明了肯扬的早期职业生涯以及她在新成立的考古研究所中的角色的重要性。他们揭示了她所需要的多功能性，其职责范围包括清理排水沟，收集图书馆书籍，进行游览，谈判资金以及为莫蒂默·惠勒提供服务。肯尼恩（Kenyon）的勤奋能力和效率可见一斑，她对考古学的热情和对研究所的热诚照耀。这些信件还展示了肯扬鲜为人知的善良，魅力，机智和处理困难人物和处境的能力。这些信件还显示了战争之间业余考古界的活力以及行政人员和志愿者所做的艰苦，光鲜和未经认可的工作。与Kenyon合作的许多行政管理人员都是女性，像Kenyon一样，在两次世界大战期间，妇女的机会不断扩大，因此成年。这些信件的语言表明，这些妇女是新女性-世俗睿智，干劲十足，具有讽刺意味，缺乏情感和自我控制的妇女，代表了20世纪现代性的新典范。但是现代性并不能保证成功，而且有迹象表明，尽管肯扬多亏了她的父亲弗雷德里克·肯扬爵士，但这种关系也限制了她，她不得不努力建立自己的独立性和作为考古学家的权威。