Catherine_Downes
Catherine Downes
English antiquarian and archaeologist
Catherine Downes (fl. 1786) 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]