Catherine Downes
English antiquarian and archaeologist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the English antiquarian. For the New Zealand playwright and director, see Cathy Downes.
Catherine Downes (fl.ā1786) was an English antiquarian and archaeologist, who excavated a Roman villa near Warminster, Wiltshire, in 1786.[1] Downes is a significant figure in the early history of archaeology, since she was one of the first women antiquarians to excavate a Roman site; the other was Frances Stackhouse Acton.[1] Downes is also one of the earliest recorded women who contributed to the work of the Society of Antiquaries of London.[2]