Excavating Schliemann: Collected Papers on Schliemann.

Excavating Schliemann: Collected Papers on Schliemann. David Traill teaches Latin in the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). , andbecame interested in Schliemann because of his 1851-2 visit toCalifornia. He felt that his research confirmed Calder's (1972)conclusion that Schliemann was a 'pathological liar'. He hassince devoted much effort to scouring the Schliemann archive and topreparing a full biography. But the 21 pieces re-published here continuehis programme of unmasking Schliemann as a liar.They are arranged so as to reflect the course of Schliemann'slife, with two prefatory pref��a��to��ry?adj.Of, relating to, or constituting a preface; introductory. See Synonyms at preliminary.[From Latin praef pieces. One is a biographical article (1990)which functions here as a preliminary statement of the themes to bedeveloped later. The other is an outline-history of the debate aboutSchliemann's honesty. It is a fair account up to 1990, althoughTraill fails to mention the general incredulity which greeted hisunsupported speculations (1986) about the Shaft-Grave treasures. Thepassing reference to the conferences of 1989-90 leaves the storyincomplete.The collection is a mixed bag. Half of the pieces will be ofpermanent value. No. 3 argues that in Ilios (1880) Schliemann used theevents of his childhood to refute Calvert's claim that he was alate-comer to the Trojan question. No. 7 establishes that Schliemannobtained his American citizenship and divorce by deceit. No. 8 provesthat he published exaggerated accounts of his work in the Troad in 1868and a false account of how he came to identify Hisarlik as Troy. No. 9,on the Helios Metope, documents his passion for a bargain and hisdisgraceful dis��grace��ful?adj.Bringing or warranting disgrace; shameful.dis��graceful��ly adv. treatment of Frank Calvert Frank Calvert (1828 – 1908) was an English expatriate who was a consular official in the eastern Mediterranean region and an amateur archaeologist. He was a key contributor to the discovery of the ancient city of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann. . No. 11 reconstructs the eventsof the day on which Priam's Treasure was found, and no. 12 showshow it was smuggled smug��gle?v. smug��gled, smug��gling, smug��glesv.tr.1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties.2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. out of Turkey. No. 13 reveals that Schliemannthought of palming off duplicates onto the Turks. No. 17 retailsStamatakis' view of Schliemann: as ruthless, aggressive and hasty.An amusing revisionist re��vi��sion��ism?n.1. Advocacy of the revision of an accepted, usually long-standing view, theory, or doctrine, especially a revision of historical events and movements.2. account of Sophie Schliemann (no. 19) presentsher as loud-mouthed, aggressive and with an 'utter lack of interestin things archaeological'. A detailed record of Schliemann'smovements (no. 20) will be invaluable to the specialist. There are alsosome minor pieces of lesser value (nos. 5, 6, 15, 18, 21).But there are more questionable contributions. No. 4 argues that,though Schliemann was not present at the fire of San Francisco San Francisco(săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden on 4 May1851, he aimed to deceive future biographers into thinking that he was.This is improbable since Schliemann's derivative account of thefire is dated 4 June and pasted into his diary for that day. A spell offever in 1852 is claimed as a fiction, but we are not given enoughdetail to allow us to check for ourselves. In no. 8 Traill argues thatin Mycenae (1880) Schliemann fraudulently put LHIIIB figurines fromGrave-Circle A into Shaft-Grave I. But we know it was his assumptionthat material from the grave-circle had been thrown up out of the tombs(Myth, scandal and history Calder & Traill (1986) p. 194). There isno fraud.Nearly one third of the book is devoted to Priam's Treasure.Nos. 10, 14 and 16 claim to expose it and other Trojan finds asfraudulent. It has been useful to have the authenticity of the findstested, and this reviewer is grateful to have been challenged to furtherthought on the matter. But in the end Traill's case all adds up tonothing. Discrepancies in Schliemann's accounts do exist and arenot all innocent; but they do not have the significance that Traillsupposes. To take one example. Yannakis, in an interview in 1875,appeared hazy in his recollection of the gold. Traill thinks thisconfirms that no gold was found. But he overlooks the circumstances. Thetreasure had been illicitly exported, the Turks were on the war-path,and Yannakis was an accomplice accomplice:see accessory. . Naturally he was cautious in what headmitted. This is typical. When surrounding circumstances are taken intoaccount, Traill's discrepancies all have very plausible otherexplanations. Some do not even exist (as in the case of the'additions' in the Atlas (1874) -- no. 16). And if we try toview them together they betoken be��to��ken?tr.v. be��to��kened, be��to��ken��ing, be��to��kensTo be or give a sign or portent of. See Synonyms at indicate.[Middle English bitoknen : bi-, be- + not even a remotely coherent plot. It isall a mare's nest. The supposedly fraudulent finding of Trojancoins, inscriptions and the 'treasures' of 1878 and 1879 (pp.13f, 19, 181f, 199) are equally without foundation.Traill's views on Priam's Treasure have changed. Originallyhe thought it included purchases (p. 151 -- not fakes, as I wrongly saidin 1990). Then it was to be a composite of Trojan finds deliberatelysalted away in advance. By 1988 it was a composite not planned inadvance and even not a deliberate deception at all. Yet by 1990 he isback claiming it as a 'misrepresentation'. These developmentsare obscured by the arrangement of the book which gives the impressionof a solid edifice. It is very misleading.The problem is that Traill seems to have a bee in his bonnet aboutexposing Schliemann. One may broadly agree with his account ofSchliemann's character, so far as it goes; but how solid really areCalder's 'findings'? And how reliable is an amateurdiagnosis of psychopathy psy��chop��a��thyn.Mental disorder, especially when manifested by antisocial behavior.psychopathyAntisocial personality disorder, see there made from a medical textbook (no. 9)? Thisfixation on Schliemann's 'pathological mendacity' nowlooks very limited. Studies by S. Goldmann, Hahn, Lehrer and Turner arewider, subtler, and provide a much more fruitful basis for future study.His obsession leads Traill into difficulties. He wants the diariesboth to reveal Schliemann's deceptions and to be intended todeceive. If he cannot find a suspicious discrepancy, he resorts tospeculation. All this is supported by what seems a very wooden approachto the texts. Why should objects have to be recorded in a daily entryand in a resume (p. 190f)? Why should we expect from an untrained,erratic, 19th-century amateur the standards of a late 20th-centuryacademic? And why should a 19th-century excavation report not have asocial as well as an academic character? Traill argues that we mustsystematically doubt everything that Schliemann wrote. It soundsrigorous and scholarly, but it is self-defeatingly narrow. We need tolook at all the evidence, in the round, and seek to come to a balancedview. Traill seems to miss the wood for the trees.His lack of archaeology is at times a problem -- he wrongly accusesSchliemann of removing the foundations of the Temple of Athena and hasan irrelevant argument about LB cremations at Besika Bay.The book is many ways a useful contribution to Schliemann studies byone whose knowledge is extensive - no-one knows more about hisbiography. But it cannot be wholeheartedly whole��heart��ed?adj.Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval.whole welcomed. Its obsessionalattempts to unearth fraud at every point will, one fears, mislead a lotof people.D.F. EASTONReferencesCALDER, W.M., III. 1972. Schliemann on Schliemann: a study in the useof sources, Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 13: 338-43.CALDER, W.M., III & D.A. TRAILL (ed.). 1986. Myth, scandal andhistory: the Heinrich Schliemann controversy and a first edition of theMycenaean diary. Detroit.