Miln James

James Miln 1818 - 1881

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Miln lived in New Zealand at some stage prior to 1873. Any further information about his residence here would be welcome.

He was born in Scotland and as well as New Zealand, he lived for considerable periods in China and India. In 1873 he visited the famous megalithic site Carnac in Brittany and in 1874 commenced excavations at Roman and earlier sites in the area, which he continued until his sudden death from typhoid in 1881. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the Royal Northern Society of Antiquaries, Copenhagen.

The research he undertook published as:

Miln, James 1877 Excavations at Carnac (Brittany), a record of archaeological researches (1877-81). Douglas, Edinburgh, (2 Vols). It is available online.

He trained a local assistant who continued his work and became a recognised expert on European megaliths. The names of both are memorialised in the local archaeological museum: Le Musée de Préhistoire James Miln - Zacharie Le Rouzic, which was founded by his brother Robert Miln to house the material his brother had excavated.

Frontispiece from Miln 1877.