Citation

In accordance with article 2 of the constitution of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation concerning the enhancement of the position of the humanities, social sciences and the arts and the promotion of appreciation of these fields within society, His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Patron of the Foundation, has confirmed the decision of the Board of the Foundation to award the Erasmus Prize for the year 1990 to Grahame Clark.

The Erasmus Prize for Prehistory is awarded to Grahame Clark because

  • he recognized the interdisciplinary character of Prehistory quite early, and has linked together, both in theory and in practice, the historical, anthropological and biological sciences;
  • he can be regarded as a pioneer in the study of the economic aspects of prehistoric communities; studies which have led to fundamental new insights that have meaningful implications for modern society;
  • he has demonstrated in his publications the ability to define the principal features of prehistoric societies, based on the detailed analyses of divergent archaeological evidence, and to impress these principle features on a wide public;
  • he has established in Cambridge, through his incisive and inspiring working methods, a scholarly institute whose influence is felt throughout the entire world.