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Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon VAN RIET LOWE, Clarence (Peter) Born: 1894 11 04 Died: 1956 06 17 Engineer AMICE; DSC (Honoris Causa) (UCT); Fellow of the Royal Society (1933) Born in Aliwal North, died in Johannesburg. Schooled in Aliwal North and Zastron. Entered the Engineering School at the South African College (later University of Cape Town) in 1912. Joined for active service in WW1 (Great War) stationed in East Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Italy and France. This aroused his interest in archaeology. His return to engineering involved in the construction of eighty-nine bridges in the Orange Free State through which he discovered 300 prehistoric sites. In 1931 he became Chief Engineer of the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. He was instrumental in the pioneer investigations of Mapungubwe with Prof Leo Fouché of the University of Pretoria in 1933. He was much involved in the founding of the Historical Monuments Commission where he served on the Central Committee from 1935 until his death. He was a member of the financial committee of the Voortrekker Monument responsible for the collection of monies for its erection. He fostered the discipline of archaeology in South Africa, his own field of interest being the Stone Age. He married Iris Ethywynne Kelly in 1922 and had a son and a daughter. Books by VAN RIET LOWE Van Riet Lowe, Clarence & Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments, Relics and Antiques. 1941. The monuments of South Africa : including an account of the work of the Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments, Relics and Antiques during the period 23rd April, 1935, to 22nd April, 1940. Pretoria: Government Printer Van Riet Lowe, Clarence & Malan, BD. 1949. Die Gedenkwaardighede van Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Staatsdrukker Van Riet Lowe, Clarence, Malan, BD & Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments, Relics and Antiques. 1949. The monuments of South Africa : Second, Revised and Enlarged Edition. Pretoria: Government Printer Van Riet Lowe, C. 195. Pre-European stone structures in South Africa. Johannesburg: South African Architectural Record Books citing VAN RIET LOWE HSRC. 1981. Dictionary of South African Biography Volume IV. Pretoria: Butterworth & Co (SA) for Human Sciences Research Council. pp 325-326