Heinrich Schliemann
Attribution: Alfred Gudeman: Imagines Philologorum
1822 - 1890
Archaeologist
Heinrich Schliemann (January 6, 1822, Neubukow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin – December 26, 1890, Naples) was a German archaeologist. He was an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer, and an important excavator of Troy and of the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns.
Born into a poor family, he went on to make his fortune as businessman in the importing trade, then later as a banker during the California gold rush. He was highly skilled at learning languages, and could converse in 13 of them by the time of his death.
It is not certain by what path Schliemann arrived at either archaeology or Troy. His wealth enabled Schliemann to become a thrill seeker. His interest in history was initially encouraged by his father, who had schooled him in the tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey and had given him a copy of Ludwig Jerrer's Illustrated History of the World for Christmas in 1829 (Schliemann later claimed that at the age of 8, he had declared he would one day excavate the city of Troy).
He may have been inspired by British archaeologist Frank Calvert, whom he met on his first visit to Hissarlik (the archaeological site of ancient Troy) in 1868. He began working with Calvert at the site shortly afterwards, and carried out many excavations there – as well as at the sites of ancient Mycenae and Tirynsin in Greece – up until his death, following illness, in 1890.
Schliemann’s work has been heavily criticised as amateurish and foolhardy, but he brought dedication, enthusiasm, conviction and a not inconsiderable fortune to the task. Excavations cannot be made without funds, and are vain without publication of the results. Schliemann was able to provide both. He continues to receive great attention and favor from some Classical archaeologists to this day.
Perhaps Schliemann’s most important discovery was the so-called 'Mask of Agamemnon', uncovered in 1876 at Mycenae, and now exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
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