James Mellaart
Encyclopedia
James Mellaart is a British
archaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of the Neolithic
settlement of Çatalhöyük
in Turkey
. He was also expelled from Turkey suspected of involvement with the antiquities black market and was involved with the so-called Mother goddess
controversy in Anatolia
. Mellaart was also involved in a string of controversies that eventually led to his being banned from excavations in Turkey in the 1960s.
James Mellaart was born in 1925 in London
. He lectured at the University of Istanbul and was an assistant director of the British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara
. In 1951 Mellaart began to direct excavations on the sites in Turkey with the assistance his Turkish-born wife Arlette. He helped to identify the "champagne-glass" pottery of western Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age, which in 1954 led to the discovery of Beycesultan
. After that expedition's completion in 1959, he helped to publish its results. In 1964 he began to lecture in Anatolia
n archaeology in Ankara.
of the British Institute. He said he had found the items six years prior but had not received permission to publish his find before this. When the news appeared in The Illustrated London News, Turkish authorities demanded to know why they had not been informed and where the artifacts had been found.
Mellaart said that he had seen the treasures in a home of a young woman whom he met in İzmir
. She did not allow him to take photographs but did let him make drawings of them. However, her name – Anna Papastrari – was unknown and her address did not exist. In consequence, Turkish officials expelled Mellaart for suspected antiquities smuggling. He was later allowed to return.
When Mellaart excavated Çatalhöyük
site in 1961, his team found more than 150 rooms and buildings, some decorated with mural
s, plaster reliefs, and sculptures. The site has since been seen as important as it has helped in the study of the social and cultural dynamics of one of the earliest large permanently occupied farming settlements in the Near East.
According to Mellaart's theories, Çatalhöyük was a prominent place of mother goddess
worship. However, many other archaeologists did not agree and the dispute created a controversy. Mellaart was even accused of making up at least some of the mythological stories he presented as genuine. The furor caused the Turkish government to close up the site. The site was unattended for the next 30 years until excavations were begun anew in the 1990s.
The city as a whole covers roughly 32.5 acre
s (130,000 m²), and housing 5,000–8,000 people, whereas the norm for the time was around one tenth of this size. The site stirred great excitement when Mellaart announced it and has since caused much head scratching. In fact, more recent work has turned up comparable features at other early Neolithic
sites in the Near East, and this has benefited many people in their understanding of the site so that many of its onetime mysteries are no longer real issues.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
archaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlement of Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, which existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He was also expelled from Turkey suspected of involvement with the antiquities black market and was involved with the so-called Mother goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
controversy in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Mellaart was also involved in a string of controversies that eventually led to his being banned from excavations in Turkey in the 1960s.
James Mellaart was born in 1925 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He lectured at the University of Istanbul and was an assistant director of the British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. In 1951 Mellaart began to direct excavations on the sites in Turkey with the assistance his Turkish-born wife Arlette. He helped to identify the "champagne-glass" pottery of western Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age, which in 1954 led to the discovery of Beycesultan
Beycesultan
Beycesultan is an archaeological site in western Anatolia, located about 5 km southwest of the modern-day city of Çivril in the Denizli Province of Turkey. It lies in a bend of an old tributary of Büyük Menderes River ,-History:...
. After that expedition's completion in 1959, he helped to publish its results. In 1964 he began to lecture in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n archaeology in Ankara.
Dorak Affair
In 1958 Mellaart gave a report of a new rich find from Dorak to Seton LloydSeton Lloyd
Seton Howard Frederick Lloyd, CBE , was an English archaeologist. He was President of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq, Director of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara , Professor of Western Asiatic Archaeology in the Institute of Archaeology, University of London...
of the British Institute. He said he had found the items six years prior but had not received permission to publish his find before this. When the news appeared in The Illustrated London News, Turkish authorities demanded to know why they had not been informed and where the artifacts had been found.
Mellaart said that he had seen the treasures in a home of a young woman whom he met in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. She did not allow him to take photographs but did let him make drawings of them. However, her name – Anna Papastrari – was unknown and her address did not exist. In consequence, Turkish officials expelled Mellaart for suspected antiquities smuggling. He was later allowed to return.
Çatalhöyük excavation
Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, which existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE...
site in 1961, his team found more than 150 rooms and buildings, some decorated with mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s, plaster reliefs, and sculptures. The site has since been seen as important as it has helped in the study of the social and cultural dynamics of one of the earliest large permanently occupied farming settlements in the Near East.
According to Mellaart's theories, Çatalhöyük was a prominent place of mother goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
worship. However, many other archaeologists did not agree and the dispute created a controversy. Mellaart was even accused of making up at least some of the mythological stories he presented as genuine. The furor caused the Turkish government to close up the site. The site was unattended for the next 30 years until excavations were begun anew in the 1990s.
The city as a whole covers roughly 32.5 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (130,000 m²), and housing 5,000–8,000 people, whereas the norm for the time was around one tenth of this size. The site stirred great excitement when Mellaart announced it and has since caused much head scratching. In fact, more recent work has turned up comparable features at other early Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
sites in the Near East, and this has benefited many people in their understanding of the site so that many of its onetime mysteries are no longer real issues.
Retirement
As of 2005, Mellaart has retired from teaching and lives in North London with his wife and grandson.See also
- Religion in prehistory
- Potnia TheronPotnia TheronPotnia Theron is a term first used by Homer and often used to describe female divinities associated with animals...
- Venus figurinesVenus figurinesVenus figurines is an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric statuettes of women portrayed with similar physical attributes from the Upper Palaeolithic, mostly found in Europe, but with finds as far east as Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, extending their distribution to much of Eurasia, from the...
- MatriarchyMatriarchyA matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
- Slow Train to IzmirSlow Train to IzmirSlow Train to Izmir is a play written by Mark Angus. It has been performed at the Southwark Playhouse, where it was directed by Maggie Zolinsky. The play is based on a true story and focuses on the Anglo-Dutch archaeologist James Mellaart...
Further reading
- Mellaart, James : Anatolian Chronology in the Early and Middle Bronze Age ; Anatolian Studies VII, 1957
- Mellaart, James : Early Cultures of the South Anatolian Plateau. The Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Ages in the Konya Plain; Anatolian Studies XIII, 1963
- Mellaart, James : Çatalhöyük, A Neolithic Town in Anatolia, London, 1967
- Mellaart, James : Excavatians at Hacilar, vol. I-II
- Balter, Michael. The Goddess and the Bull: Çatalhöyük: An Archaeological Journey to the Dawn of Civilization. New York: Free Press, 2004 (hardcover, ISBN 0-7432-4360-9); Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2006 (paperback, ISBN 1-59874-069-5).
- Pearson, Kenneth; Connor, Patricia. The Dorak Affair. London: Michael Joseph. 1967; New York: Atheneum, 1968.
External links
- Mazur, Susan. "The Dorak Affair's Final Chapter", at Scoop.co.nz, October 10, 2005.