RUSSELL SCOTT

SCOTT--Russell T., Jr. Professor Russell T. Scott, Jr., known to many as "Darby," died on May 28, 2024 at the age of 85. An emeritus Professor of Latin and Classical Studies at Bryn Mawr College (where he had taught since 1966), he was a noted Roman archaeologist. His first published work was in the field of ancient historiography, examining religion and philosophy in the Histories of Tacitus. But a season excavating in the Roman Forum in 1965 revealed that he had a rare gift for knowing how and where to lay his trenches, and he soon began devoting much of his scholarly time outside of the classroom to archaeology. He did extensive fieldwork in central Italy throughout his career. In particular, he participated in-- and subsequently directed -- the American Academy in Rome's excavation of the Roman colony of Cosa, whose origins date to the 3rd century B.C. Later, while serving as Professor-in-Charge of the Academy (a position he held from 1984 to 1988), he was invited by the Italian government to excavate in the most ancient part of the Roman Forum, the Area Sacra of Vesta--goddess of hearth and home, whose priestesses (the Vestal Virgins) were tasked with tending the sacred flame that ensured Rome's continued existence. This marked a return to the area of the Forum where Professor Scott had first been introduced to archaeology, during excavations of the adjoining (and equally ancient) Regia. He later also undertook an exhaustive restudy (and was able to re-date) the imperial-era House of the Vestal Virgins nearby. His most recent archaeological project was a return to Cosa, where excavations are now overseen by his former student Professor Andrea De Giorgi of Florida State University, to excavate an imperial-era bath building. This involved solving a fascinating puzzle: how did the inhabitants indulge in the basic Roman ritual of communal bathing on a site that had no water source other than rain? In addition to archaeological fieldwork, Professor Scott wrote numerous articles and reviews on Roman archaeological and topographical subjects, as well as on Roman literature (Ovid and Horace in particular). While teaching and scholarship were his passions, he was also an excellent cook, and enjoyed playing the guitar, with which he would entertain his students of a Roman evening after a long, dusty day excavating. A devoted husband to Ann (nee Reynolds), his wife of 56 years, he is also survived by his sisters Elizabeth Locey and Mary Lee Morrell, his son Charles and daughter-in-law Emily, his grandchildren William and Elizabeth, his niece and nephews (Leslie Swafford, James Locey, Scott Morrell, and Steven Morrell) and their families, and his sisters-in-law Carolyn Marsh and Ellen Harris. The interment took place at Mountain View Cemetery in Camden, ME on June 8; a memorial service will be held in Bryn Mawr, PA at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Indian College Fund www.collegefund.org