This series documents Trigger’s scholarly research activities, primarily from his years as a professor in McGill’s Department of Anthropology; as well, some scrapbooks, photos, and slides record his archaeological fieldwork in Northern Ontario when he was a student during the 1950s, as well as his time in Egypt and the Sudan as a professional archaeologist during the early 1960s.

Textual records include research notebooks from Trigger’s student days (Container 14, Files 589-590) and his research material for his biography of Gordon Childe, 1936-1993 (Container 8, Files 425-427). Trigger’s office library in McGill’s Leacock building contained reading notes, correspondence with author’s from books and journals housed in Trigger’s library, and clippings that were interfiled within the publications in the library, 1972-2006 (Container 10, Files 485-508). These files are arranged alphabetically by author or by publication. Further evidence of Trigger’s research activities and approaches to organizing research materials is found in a card catalogue tray that is alphabetically arranged by author. Additionally, reading notes that were organized by country/ geographical area of interest reveal the breadth and scope of Trigger’s research interests (Container 13, Files 565-572; Container 14, Files 591-594).

Scrapbooks containing photos, news articles, correspondence, and archaeological plans document Trigger’s time as a field work archaeologist. More specifically, a Sheek Island Scrapbook, Molson Fieldnotes, in 2 volumes, and hand drawn maps and notes of Nubia capture the essence of archaeological methodology, as well as the excitement involved in archaeological fieldwork, 1957 1985 (Container 19, Files 742-745). A file entitled Sheek Island papers, contains additional photos and newsclippings on this early excavation where Trigger participated as a student, 1957 (Container 4, File 208).