George Macdonald

Sir George Macdonald (30 January 1862 – 9 August 1940) was a British archaeologist and numismatist who studied the Antonine Wall. Life Macdonald was born in Elgin on 30 January 1862. His father, James Macdonald, was a schoolmaster at Elgin Academy and his mother was Margaret Raff. His father moved from Elgin Academy to Ayr Academy during his early youth. Macdonald was educated at Ayr Academy where his father had become rector. He studied in Germany and France, then at the University of Edinburgh and Balliol College, Oxford, graduating Master of Arts in 1887. He then took up a post teaching Classics at Kelvinside Academy. In 1892 he began lecturing in Greek at Glasgow University as Gilbert Murray's assistant. At this time he lived at 21 Lilybank Gardens in Glasgow. Macdonald was involved in archaeological excavations from 1902, when he excavated Bar Hill Fort with Alexander Park. One of his obituaries says "scholarship is not incompatible with administrative ability". He employed "scientific method and equipment" in his fieldwork and excavations, resulting in new discoveries in the discipline of Romano-British history. Macdonald's father had also an interest in Roman archaeology.