Editing Gerald Gardner (section)

===Marriage and archaeology: 1927–1936===
Gardner's mother had died in 1920, but he had not returned to Britain on that occasion.{{Sfn|Bracelin|1960|p=125}} However, in 1927 his father became very ill with [[dementia]], and Gardner decided to visit him. On his return to Britain, Gardner began to investigate [[Spiritualism (movement)|spiritualism]] and [[mediumship]]. He soon had several encounters which he attributed to spirits of deceased family members.

Continuing to visit Spiritualist churches and séances, he was highly critical of much of what he saw, although he encountered several mediums he considered genuine. One medium apparently made contact with a deceased cousin of Gardner's, an event which impressed him greatly. His first biographer Jack Bracelin reports that this was a watershed in Gardner's life, and that a previous academic interest in spiritualism and life after death thereafter became a matter of firm personal belief for him.{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1pp=125–133|Heselton|2012a|2pp=104–109}}

The very same evening (28 July 1927) after Gardner had met this medium, he met the woman he was to marry; Dorothea Frances Rosedale, known as Donna, a relation of his sister-in-law Edith. He asked her to marry him the next day and she agreed. Because his leave was coming to an end very soon, they married quickly on 16 August at [[St Jude's Church, Kensington]], and then [[honeymoon]]ed in [[Ryde]] on the [[Isle of Wight]], before heading via France to Malaya.{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1pp=133–137|Heselton|2012a|2pp=109–114}}

Arriving in the country, the couple settled into a bungalow at Bukit Japon in [[Johor Bahru]].{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|p=117}} Here, he once more became involved in Freemasonry, joining the Johore Royal Lodge No. 3946, but had retired from it by April 1931.{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|p=122}} Gardner also returned to his old interests in the anthropology of Malaya, witnessing the magical practices performed by the locals, and he readily accepted a belief in [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]].{{Sfn|Bracelin|1960|p=59}} During his time in Malaya, Gardner became increasingly interested in local customs, particularly those involved in folk magic and weapons.

Gardner was not only interested in the anthropology of Malaya, but also in its archaeology. He began excavations at the city of Johore Lama, alone and in secret, as the local Sultan considered archaeologists little better than grave-robbers. Prior to Gardner's investigations, no serious archaeological excavation had occurred at the city, though he himself soon unearthed four miles of earthworks, and uncovered finds that included tombs, pottery, and porcelain dating from [[Ming China]].{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1pp=102–103|Heselton|2012a|2pp=118–121}}

He went on to begin further excavations at the royal cemetery of [[Kota Tinggi]], and the jungle city of Syong Penang.{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1p=104|Heselton|2012a|2p=119}} His finds were displayed as an exhibit on the "Early History of Johore" at the [[National Museum of Singapore]], and several beads that he had discovered suggested that trade went on between the [[Roman Empire]] and the Malays, presumably, Gardner thought, via India.{{Sfn|Bracelin|1960|p=106}} He also found gold coins originating from [[Johore]] and he published [[academic paper]]s on both the beads and the coins.{{Sfnm|Gardner|1937|Gardner|1933}}

[[File:Kris display.jpg|thumb|right|A selection of ''kris'' knives; Gardner took a great interest in such items, even authoring the definitive text on the subject, ''Keris and Other Malay Weapons'' (1936).]]

By the early 1930s Gardner's activities had moved from those exclusively of a civil servant, and he began to think of himself more as a folklorist, archaeologist and anthropologist.{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1p=74|Heselton|2012a|2p=123}} He was encouraged in this by the director of the Raffles Museum (now the [[National Museum of Singapore]]) and by his election to Fellowship of the [[Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland|Royal Anthropological Institute]] in 1936.{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|p=123}}

En route back to London in 1932 Gardner stopped off in [[Egypt]] and, armed with a letter of introduction, joined [[Flinders Petrie|Sir Flinders Petrie]] who was excavating the site of [[Tall al-Ajjul]] in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1pp=137–138|Heselton|2012a|2pp=124–126}} Arriving in London in August 1932 he attended a conference on prehistory and protohistory at [[King's College London]], attending at least two lectures which described the cult of the [[Mother Goddess]].{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|pp=126–128}} He also befriended the archaeologist and practising Pagan [[Alexander Keiller (archaeologist)|Alexander Keiller]], known for his excavations at [[Avebury]], who would encourage Gardner to join in with the excavations at Hembury Hill in [[Devon]], also attended by [[Aileen Fox]] and [[Mary Leakey]].{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1p=139|Heselton|2012a|2pp=126, 128}}

Returning to East Asia, he took a ship from Singapore to [[Saigon]] in [[French Indo-China]], from where he travelled to [[Phnom Penh]], visiting the [[Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh|Silver Pagoda]]. He then took a train to [[Hangzhou]] in China, before continuing onto [[Shanghai]]; because of the ongoing [[Chinese Civil War]], the train did not stop throughout the entire journey, something that annoyed the passengers.{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|p=130}} In 1935, Gardner attended the Second Congress for Prehistoric Research in the Far East in [[Manila]], Philippines, acquainting himself with several experts in the field.{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|pp=130–132}}

His main research interest lay in the Malay ''kris'' blade, which he unusually chose to spell "keris"; he eventually collected 400 examples and talked to natives about their magico-religious uses. Deciding to author a book on the subject, he wrote ''Keris and Other Malay Weapons'', being encouraged to do so by anthropologist friends; it would subsequently be edited into a readable form by Betty Lumsden Milne and published by the Singapore-based Progressive Publishing Company in 1936.{{Sfnm|Gardner|1936|Heselton|2012a|2pp=133–141}} It was well received by literary and academic circles in Malaya.{{Sfn|Heselton|2012a|pp=140–145}}

In 1935, Gardner heard that his father had died, leaving him a bequest of £3,000. This assurance of financial independence may have led him to consider retirement, and as he was due for a long leave in 1936 the Johore Civil Service allowed him to retire slightly early, in January 1936. Gardner wanted to stay in Malaya, but he conceded to his wife Donna, who insisted that they return to England.{{Sfnm|Bracelin|1960|1p=142|Heselton|2012a|2p=139}}