Legacy of Heinrich Schliemann
- In full:
- Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann
- Born:
- January 6, 1822, Neubukow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Germany]
- Subjects Of Study:
- Turkey
- ancient Greece
- civilization
- prehistoric age
Assessments of Schliemann’s work began to change even during his lifetime. It is clear from later research on Frank Calvert and his papers that Calvert deserves the lion’s share of responsibility for siting Troy at Hisarlık. Schliemann’s archaeological practices too left something to be desired. In his single-minded drive to discover Homer’s Troy, he damaged and destroyed other layers of settlement. His self-promotion and methods of appropriation further cast doubt on his actual accomplishment, though his broadcasting of his various claims undoubtedly brought much greater general awareness of ancient history of the region.
Schliemann was one of the first popularizers of archaeology. With his books and his dispatches to The Times, the Daily Telegraph, and other papers, he kept the world informed and excited by his archaeological findings as no one previously had been able to do. However unscrupulously, Schliemann became a symbol of the romance and excitement of archaeology.
Glyn Edmund Daniel The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica