FAMOUS ARCHAEOLOGIST FAKED ANCIENT DISCOVERIES AT 9,000-YEAR-OLD SITE IN EUROPE AND ELSEWHERE

[Judi Lynn]

BY KRISTIN HUGO ON 3/12/18 AT 2:40 PM

James Mellaart, a famous but controversial archaeologist, died in 2012, and even in death he tried to pass off historical hoaxes as real.

A colleague of Mellaart, Eberhard Zangger, a geoarchaeologist from Switzerland, has been investigating Mellaart’s claims, Live Science reported. Zangger found that Mellaart had drafts of writings, murals and carvings in his apartment when he died, indicating that Mellaart was actually the creator of the “discoveries” he had attributed to ancient peoples. Mellaart had asked colleagues to publish his work after his death; instead, one colleague found more evidence of Mellaart’s hoaxes.

Mellaart had a long career in archaeology. He was a lecturer at Istanbul University and the University of London, and made incredible, often reputable, discoveries. His first public brush with controversy, known as “The Dorak Affair,” involved his discovery of treasure in Turkey. Some accused him of having illegally dug up the treasure elsewhere and smuggling it out of the country.

That incident would turn out to be only one debacle in a career studded with possible fabrications. Mellaart also claimed to have discovered murals at Çatalhöyük, an ancient settlement in Turkey from approximately 9,000 years ago. He claimed that they crumbled to dust before he could photograph or remove them. Mellaart painted pictures of the murals that he claimed existed, but there’s no other evidence that they were there. To this day, Mellaart and his supposed discoveries remain controversial in the archaeology world.

More:
http://www.newsweek.com/famous-archaeologist-faked-ancient-discoveries-9000-year-old-site-europe-and-841428?piano_t=1

[Igel]

1. Things like this are difficult.

Mellaart's ideas were popular in some circles, and were incorporated in theories and attitudes going back many decades. A lot of people probably aren't really even aware how what they think is true depends on Mellaart's accuracy and correctness, so won't know or won't want to accept that those views just took a rather strong hit to their foundations or, in some cases, pretty much are just hanging there in air without foundation.

I'm pretty sure I've read one or two of his books back in the '80s, but I have no idea which 'facts' and ideas I think are true are his. (Since I'm not an archeologist, not a big deal. Still, as a Slavist I needed to know Gimbutas' work, and she drew heavily on his work as confirmation of what she wanted to show.)

[NNadir]

3. It is interesting to hear from someone involved in any of this work.

It adds perspective on the seriousness of the issue, even though I had no idea who Mellaart was and frankly had no idea what a Slavist was until I googled it.

Thank you. I love to hear about things about which I know nothing at all.

[defacto7]

2. I think the only concrete message here

Is for scientists to stay clear of ethical controversy eg. Don't fill where there is no available proof even if destroyed. There are a lot of maybes and accusation but no conviction. That makes his work weak hearsay but not completely discounted. It's unfortunate the article leans toward conviction rather than leaving the question mark where it belongs.