Heinrich Schliemann: A Pioneer in Archaeology

Heinrich Schliemann: A Pioneer in Archaeology
9505字作文:1 　 UID: 504158027 　 Course: Classics 51A 　 Section: 1H 　 Date: Jan. 31 　Heinrich Schliemann

1 　
UID: 504158027 　
Course: Classics 51A 　
Section: 1H 　
Date: Jan. 31 　
Heinrich Schliemann: A Pioneer in Archaeology 　
　
　　As Leo Deuel states in The Treasure of Time, “Every profession has its hero, the man of genius whose struggle and accomplishment seem to personify the highest aspiration of his 　
chosen field and who captures the imagination of the general public. In archaeology the unique hero has long been Heinrich Schliemann” 《1961, p.237》。 Notable for his marvelous discovery of Troy, Heinrich Schliemann has been widely regarded as one of the most outstanding scholars in 　
archaeology. Although Schliemann’s unscrupulous and destructive methods of excavation caused extensive damage to Troy, the discovery of precious artifacts and the popularization of the entire field of archaeology outweigh the destruction. Schliemann’s enormous enthusiasm for ancient Greece led him to archaeology. As depicted by Michael Wood, Schliemann read voraciously with every minute he had, 　
especially in archaeological and antiquarian studies 《1998, p.94》。 Schliemann’s desire for furthering his knowledge in Greece directed him to visit all the major museum collections 《Wood, 1998, p.94》。 　
If his analysis lacked precise academic discipline, Schliemann immediately sought help from contemporary scholars: Dorpfeld, Sayce, Muller and so on, many of them with remarkable accomplishments in their own field 《Wood, 1998, p.94》。 We can see that Schliemann’s insatiable desire for knowing more about ancient Greece was not limited to the books he read. By visiting he collections of all major museums in Italy, he practiced archaeology. He actively sought advice from distinguished scholars of his time to maintain the accuracy of his reasoning. 　
Regardless of the difficulty he met during excavation, Schliemann’s tremendous passion for Greek culture drove him to relentlessly uncover the ruins of Troy. 　
In addition, Schliemann realized his affinity for Greek civilization through his large wealth. In 1846, the firm of Schroder & Co designated Schliemann as a General Agent to take 　
over the indigo trade in St. Petersburg. There, he set up his own company and started to trade a wide range of commodities, including sugar, tea, wine and coffee. As his business prospered and grew into a large empire, Schliemann soon amassed a huge fortune. At the mere age of forty-six, 　
Schliemann was wealthy enough to retire from business, and devoted himself to searching for　　2 　
Troy. He hired a team of seventy workers and embarked on a voyage into Asian Minor and the Greek mainland. After years of excavation, Schliemann discovered Troy, Mycenae and Tiryns,not to mention heaps of jewels and gold. The fortune Schliemann made earlier in business provided a solid financial base for his expedition— an unlimited budget was at his disposal. Unlike his contemporary archaeologists who usually lacked funds to carry out their research on Troy, Schliemann was able to turn his dream into reality. Interestingly, Schliemann accumulated an even larger amount of fortune when he discovered Trojan treasure. As both a successful businessman and an outstanding archaeologist, Schliemann later travelled around the world, exhibiting the treasures he excavated and giving public lectures about his exploration in Troy. Consequently, Schliemann raised enthusiasm for knowledge of the Aegean civilization, which had not existed prior to his discovery. Furthermore, Schliemann’s lifelong goal was to prove that Homer’s epic poems—The Iliad and The Odyssey— reflected historical truths and that Troy actually existed. In fact, Schliemann dedicated his entire life to uncover the remains of the legendary city. Schliemann’s passion was evident even as a young boy; he harbored an ambition to dig for the lost city of Troy. At the age of eight, for Christmas, Schliemann received an illustrated copy of Jerrer’s Universal History, which contained the epic tale of the Trojan War with a picture of Troy enveloped in flames 《Wood, 1998, p.59》。 The vivid story inspired young Schliemann so much that he argued with his father about the reality of Troy. Finally, the anecdote ended with Schliemann’s claim that he would one day find Troy 《Wood, 1998, p.59》。 The epic of Troy planted a seed in Schliemann’s mind to discover the lost city. As the seed of this dream germinated, Schliemann abandoned his business empire and fully devoted himself to the world 　
of archaeology. He carried out extensive excavations,collaborated with other excellent archaeologists, and finally fulfilled his goal of discovering Troy.　 　
Schliemann’s obsession with Troy, however, saw no limits and soon took hold of him. 　
Schliemann ruined considerable priceless antiquities through his hasty and unscrupulous excavation methods. While digging furiously for the Troy of The Iliad, Schliemann considered 　
the layers built upon the site of Troy useless, and demanded his workers to get rid of everything else unrelated to Troy 《Lively, 2006》。 Schliemann’s only goal was to find Troy and “ to him the other layers or antiquities were simply debris”《Lively, 2006》。 In this manner, many precious historical artifacts, such as vases and frescoes, were abandoned or destroyed during the　　3 　
excavation. Accordingly, the loss of valuable material caused by Schliemann’s inexperience and haste hindered the progress of modern archaeology, limiting future professional scholars from the resources to study ancient Greece. Furthermore, Schliemann’s recklessness and lack of conscience damaged the reputation of international archaeologists in Turkey. Although the Turkish government disapproved of Schliemann for excavating Hissarlik, he cheated to get his way and dug in secret 《Wood, 1998, p.61》。 Without permission from the owners of the property, Schliemann instructed his workers to dig a trench through their hill 《Etienne, R. & F., 1992, 　
p.146》。 Despite the direct warnings from the Turkish authorities, Schliemann still smuggled Trojan treasures to Athens. As a result, Schliemann’s atrocities, especially his theft of Trojan Treasures, infuriated the Turkish government and, at the same time gave foreign archaeologists a bad reputation in Turkey. This shows that Schliemann’s obsession with Troy completely took over his mind. Schliemann paid no regard for law; he cheated the Turkish government to get his way, shipping Trojan treasures out of Turkey. He was not even concerned about damaging the private property of others as long as he could excavate the treasures he wanted. Not surprisingly, Schliemann is often depicted as a man of deceit and lies in archaeological books. 　
However, Schliemann should not be judged solely by his damage. His contribution to modern archaeology has had immense positives effects, which have overshadowed his 　
destruction. Schliemann’s extraordinary discovery of Troy and its precious artifacts revolutionized our knowledge of prehistoric civilization and Greek mythology. Before his 　
sensational find, the modern world had considered Troy a pure myth in Homer’s epics. To many serious scholars, this legendary city seemed nothing more than a beautiful tale with no foundation in reality. The general populace had no idea about ancient Greek life before the classical period. With a wealth of sculptures and potteries uncovered by Schliemann, the world began to appreciate the fact that Homer’s epic poem was not only a fascinating story, but also reflected 　
historical events of that time. Schliemann revealed life in ancient Greece to the general audience and the academic world with treasures he excavated: gold and bronze cups, head bags,