text: ralph merrifield ralph merrifield ( 22 august 1913 – 9 january 1995 ) was an english museum curator and archaeologist . described as " the father of london 's modern archaeology " , merrifield was a specialist in both the archaeology of roman london and the archaeology of magical practices , publishing six books on these subjects over the course of his life . born in brighton , merrifield began his archaeological career as an assistant at brighton museum while attaining an external degree in anthropology from the university of london . he served in the royal air force during world war ii , and then in 1950 became the assistant keeper of the guildhall museum in london . in 1956 , he relocated to accra to organise the opening of the new national museum of ghana , before returning to work at the guildhall museum . here he produced a synthesis of known material on the archaeology of roman london , published as the roman city of london in 1965 . in 1975 , following the amalgamation of the guildhall museum with the london museum to establish the new museum of london , merrifield was appointed senior keeper , and soon after was promoted to the position of deputy director . in 1978 , he retired from this position but remained active within the archaeological community , publishing both the archaeology of ritual and magic in 1987 as well as further studies of roman london . also giving public lectures across the country , he was a keen supporter of the standing conference on london archaeology , a body designed to monitor what he saw as the negative impact that english heritage was having on the city 's archaeology . biography early life and the guildhall museum : 1913 – 74 merrifield was born on 22 august 1913 in the southern english coastal city of brighton . he was raised primarily by his mother , his father having died when merrifield was three years old . he undertook his sixth form studies at the municipal school for boys , and it was whilst doing , in 1930 , that he began working at the brighton museum as an assistant to the museum curator h. s. toms , himself a former assistant of the archaeologist augustus pitt rivers . inspired by the museum 's ethnographic collection which he had helped catalogue , merrifield embarked on a university of london external degree which he completed in 1935 ; although its main focus was in anthropology , the degree had also allowed him to take intermediate courses in botany . it was during this that he developed a keen interest in the archaeological evidence for both religion and for the magical practices that took place in britain 's past . following the outbreak of the second world war , in 1940 merrifield was conscripted into the royal air force and in 1943 he was transferred to its intelligence division , specialising in the interpretation of aerial photographs . as a result of this , he was posted to both india and java . after the conflict ended in 1945 , he returned to work at brighton museum . in 1950 , merrifield took a post as assistant keeper of the guildhall museum in london , a job that he would retain until 1975 . at the time the museum lacked a premises , with merrifield assisting the keeper norman cook in establishing an exhibit at the royal exchange in 1954 . during these post - war years the city 's archaeological community was largely preoccupied with salvaging the roman and medieval structures that were damaged by the blitz and the subsequent urban redevelopment . in 1951 merrifield married lysbeth webb , a colleague at the guildhall museum , and together they went on to have one son and one daughter . in november 1956 , merrifield was sent to accra in ghana to establish the national museum of ghana . the museum was due to be constructed in time for the day of ghana 's officially achieved independence in april 1957 , with its exhibits having previously been part of the university museum of ghana , however upon arrival merrifield found that the construction was delayed . returning to the guildhall after six months , he campaigned for the archaeological excavation of sites prior to their redevelopment , resulting in the establishment of the department of urban archaeology at the guildhall museum in 1973 . in 1962 , he published his first important academic paper , a study of roman coins found at the bottom of the river walbrook . although not a specialist in any one particular aspect of romano - british archaeology , he was able to synthesise a wide range of evidence to develop a picture of life in londinium , the roman settlement located in the city of london , publishing the roman city of london in 1965 . the project had been suggested to him two years previously by the publisher ernest benn , and represented the first detailed study of roman london to be published for 35 years . to produce it , merrifield had catalogued all known romano - british remains in the city , further providing suggestions for where additional archaeological remains were likely located . the archaeologist w. f. grimes described it as " a landmark in the study of roman london " while the later archaeologist harvey sheldon called it " a masterful historical synthesis " . the book established merrifield 's reputation to a wider audience . he followed this with two works aimed at a general audience , roman london ( 1969 ) , in which he looked at evidence for romano - british occupation across the wider greater london area , and then the archaeology of london ( 1975 ) , in which he surveyed the archaeological evidence of the region from the palaeolithic through to the early middle ages . museum of london and retirement : 1975 – 95 in 1975 he became the senior keeper of the museum of london , being promoted to the position of deputy director in 1977 , and being responsible for designing the museum 's first roman gallery . from 1976 to 1978 he served as president of the london and middlesex archaeological society . merrifield retired in 1978 , and a festschrift , entitled collectanea : studies in london archaeology and history presented to ralph merrifield , was published in his honour . recognising his many years service to the archaeological field , the university of london awarded him an doctorate . during his retirement , he continued to take an active role in researching london 's past . in 1983 , he published london : city of the romans , in which he updated his account of londinium with information obtained over the previous decade and a half . his book the archaeology of ritual and magic appeared in 1987 , and was written to combat what merrifield identified as a widespread neglect of ritual aspects in the archaeological record . concurring with merrifield 's assessment about this widespread neglect , the later archaeologist roberta gilchrist described it as a " rare contribution " to the discipline . the historian of religion hilda ellis davidson praised the " cautious and balanced arguments " of merrifield 's work , opining that it should be read by every archaeologist as a corrective to what she thought was their widespread ignorance of folklore . merrifield was uneasy with the changes made to london 's archaeological establishment by english heritage during the early 1990s , strongly supporting the establishment of the standing conference on london archaeology to monitor english heritage 's actions . he also continued to talk on archaeological subjects , with his final lecture , " magic protection of the home " , being given to extra - mural students in northampton in december 1994 . following a short illness , he died of cardiac arrest in king 's college hospital , london , on 9 january 1995 , leaving behind his wife , children , and grandchildren . legacy merrifield came to be known as the " father of london 's modern archaeology " , with harvey sheldon describing him as the " father figure " of london archaeology . according to fellow archaeologist w. f. grimes , it was merrifield 's " work in and about london " which earned him " an honoured place in british archaeology " . in merrifield 's obituary in british archaeology magazine , max , the director of the museum of london , described him as being both " generous with his knowledge and friendship " and " energetic and active to the end " . sheldon stated that he was " universally loved and admired " , having done " more than anyone else , both by example and influence " , to place london 's archaeology on a firm footing . writing in the independent , peter marsden commented on merrifield 's " quiet manner " which " obscured a steely determination " to advance scholarship .