Hodgkin's father (1873-1959) was described as, 'one of the legendary figures of Sudan archaeology'. He became a civil servant in the the Department of Education in Cairo in 1901, moving to Khartoum as Assistant Director of Education in the Sudan, 1903-1938, returning, after a further spell in Cairo, as Director of Education and Principal of Gordon Memorial College, 1914-1926. On his retirement, he was almost immediately offered the post of Director of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem which he occupied, 1927-1935. His excavations in Palestine were accompanied by his wife and from time to time by his daughters. He continued to publish the results through his retirement years, see MS. Eng. c. 7931/2.