Tag: archaeology
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Heinrich Schliemann, the archeologist who excavated Troy
Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890) explored and excavated the ruins of Troy, connecting them with the Homeric epics. His life was marked by relentless determination, linguistic genius, and a fascination with antiquity. Born in 1822 in Neubukow, Germany, Schliemann grew up in modest circumstances as the son of a Lutheran pastor. His early fascination with Homer’s Iliad…
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Sir Arthur Evans: Archaeology visionary
Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) achieved lasting fame by discovering the Minoan civilization in Crete. Through his systematic Knossos excavations and his later interpretations, he revolutionized our knowledge about European prehistory and societal evolution. Born 1851, in Nash Mills, Hertfordshire, he studied modern history at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he developed an interest in ancient civilizations. After finishing his education, he spent years traveling throughout the Balkans while…
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Louis Leakey: Pioneering the study of human evolution in Africa
Zachary SorensenChicago, Illinois, United States Louis Seymour Bazet Leakey was a paleoanthropologist and archaeologist renowned for his fieldwork in East Africa. His career spanned several decades, and he made important contributions to our understanding of human origins. His research dramatically shaped the way the world views the history of humanity. Born in Kenya to British…
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Jean-Françoise Champollion—Revisiting his illnesses and death
Maureen HirthlerRichard HutchisonBradenton, Florida “I’ve found it!” In 1822, Jean-Françoise Champollion (December 23, 1790 – March 4, 1832) told his brother he had a breakthrough in deciphering the Rosetta Stone, then collapsed to the floor. He had been ill for most of his life with various complaints—fainting and collapse, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath,…