Finding the walls of Troy: Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik.

Finding the walls of Troy: Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik. SUSAN HEUCK ALLEN. Finding the walls of Troy: Frank Calvert andHeinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik. xiii+409pp. 1998. Berkeley (CA):University of California Press "UC Press" redirects here, but this is also an abbreviation for University of Chicago PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. ; 0-520-20868-4 hardback 27.50 [poundssterling] & $35. Frank Calvert must be one of the unsung pioneers of archaeology.His obscurity is perhaps emphasized by his absence from the Dictionaryof National Biography The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885. The updated Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB (though he does make an appearance in N. Thomsonde Grummond (1996), An encyclopedia of the history of ClassicalArchaeology. Susan Heuck Allen has produced an impressive biography ofone of the key figures in the development of `Homeric archaeology'.In many ways this study of Calvert finds a parallel with NicolettaMomigliano's (1999) (shorter) biography of Duncan Mackenzie,assistant to Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos. Calvert had arrived in the Troad in 1845, joining his brothersFrederick and Charles. One of his earliest excavations was to be atHanay Tepe near the Calverts' farm at Akca Koy, and thesearchaeological interests were turned into a series of articles on thetopography of the Troad published in the Archaeological Journal throughthe 1850s and 1860s. The biography also develops other aspects ofCalvert's life including his role as United States consular agentin the Dardanelles. This picture of a Levantine English family iswonderfully summarized in visual form by the photograph ofCalvert's grave at Canakkale (figure 51) which quotes the text fromthe start of the Book of Common Prayer funeral service. Yet the heart of the biography must be Calvert's link with thesite of Troy and his associations with Heinrich Schliemann. The site ofHisarlik was purchased during the Crimean War, though it was not untilSeptember 1863 that Calvert started to excavate there, perhaps at thesite of John Brunton's earlier exploration. Significantly theBritish Museum rejected Calvert's request for assistance.Schliemann had apparently first made plans to visit Troy as part of atouristic itinerary in April 1868. It was on 14 August that he visitedthe site of Hisarlik, and several days later inspected `the richcollection of vases and other curious objects that the ingenious andindefatigable archaeologist Frank Calvert has found in his manyexcavations' (quoted in Traill 1995: 54). Traill (1995: 56) hasmaintained that `it was Calvert's impression that Schliemann wasunaware that Hisarlik was held by some scholars to be the site ofTroy', and Allen accepts that Schliemann `recast events in hisdiary to make it appear that he believed Hisarlik was the site ofHomer's Troy prior to his influential meeting with Calvert'(p. 120). Such a position is in opposition to those who would wish todefend Schliemann's integrity (e.g. Lehrer & Turner 1989). Thesubsequent breakdown in the relationship between the two men as theexcavations progressed can rightly be explained in terms ofSchliemann's `duplicity', `underhandedness', `treacheryand ingratitude' (pp. 158-60). Such a view should not be taken asindicative of `Schliemann bashing' (Bennet 1999), but a criticalassessment of both published works and private papers. Parts of the Calvert collection of antiquities may have found theirway into European collections (as they did into North American ones). In1905, 1907 and 1908 (the year of Calvert's death), the FitzwilliamMuseum in Cambridge acquired a number of largely prehistoric antiquitiesfrom the Dardanelles area through A.O. van Lennep. It is perhaps nocoincidence that Frank Calvert's brother, Frederick, was related bymarriage to Charles van Lennep, the Swedish consul at Smyrna, who at onepoint held the deeds of part of the Calvert property; Charles had a son,Alfred. Future research may show if these objects in Cambridge were partof Calvert's collection. There are useful insights throughout the study into the history ofAnatolian archaeology. One minor correction should be noted.William-Henry Waddington may have been familiar with Anatoliancollections in Cambridge (p. 57) -- these included inscriptionscollected in the Troad by Professor E.D. Clarke and presented to theUniversity in 1803, as well as `The Sigeum marble' presented toTrinity College in 1766 by Lady Bute (daughter of Edward WortleyMontagu Edward Wortley Montagu (1713 – April 29, 1776), was an English author and traveller.He was the son of Edward Wortley Montagu, MP and of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, whose talent and eccentricity he seems to have inherited. ; see Grundy 1999) -- but they would have been seen in theUniversity Library (then located in Regent House) rather than theFitzwilliam Museum, which only received its founding classicalbenefaction ben��e��fac��tion?n.1. The act of conferring aid of some sort.2. A charitable gift or deed.[Late Latin benefacti from Dr John Disney in 1850. These antiquities from Anatoliawere to be joined in 1854 by an inscription found at the temple ofApollo Smintheus in the Troad by Captain T.A.B. Spratt. The biography concludes with an epilogue on the jointGerman-American excavations at Hisarlik which have been conducted since1988. The earlier campaign by C.W. Blegen and W. Dorpfeld for theUniversity of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a coeducational public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ranked as one of America’s top 25 public research universities and in the top 50 of all American research universities,[2] is also mentioned. Susan Heuck Allen hasprovided an excellent guide to the complexity of the relationships andpersonalities of those seeking to find the walls of Troy. DAVID David, in the BibleDavid,d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. GILL Department of Classics and Ancient History University ofWales Affiliated institutionsCardiff University Cardiff was once a full member of the University but has now left (though it retains some ties). When Cardiff left, it merged with the University of Wales College of Medicine (which was also a former member). Swansea d.w.j.gill@swansea.ac.uk References BENNET, J. 1999. Schliemann and after, Times Higher EducationSupplement 11 June: 31. GRUNDY, I. 1999. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu The Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (born 26 May 1689 in Thoresby Hall, died 21 August 1762), was an English aristocrat and writer, chiefly remembered today for her letters. Life . Oxford: ClarendonPress. LEHRER, M. & D. TURNER. 1989. The making of a Homericarchaeologist: Schliemann's diary of 1868, Annual of the BritishSchool at Athens The British School at Athens (BSA) (Greek: Βρετανική Σχολή Αθηνών) is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece. 84: 221-68. MOMIGLIANO, N. 1999. Duncan Mackenzie: a cautious canny highlander& the palace of Minos at Knossos. London: Institute of ClassicalStudies, University of London For most practical purposes, ranging from admission of students to negotiating funding from the government, the 19 constituent colleges are treated as individual universities. Within the university federation they are known as Recognised Bodies . Bulletin of the Institute of ClassicalStudies supplement 72. THOMSON DE GRUMMOND, N. (ed.). 1996. An encyclopedia of the historyof classical archaeology. London: Fitzroy Dearborn. TRAILL, D. 1995. Schliemann of Troy: treasure and deceit. London:John Murray.