Archeologists are much more than digging in the dirt and uncovering ‘old’ bones , they are gateway masters to the past and allow us to grab a sneak peek at how the world used to thrive and what steps early humans took in evolution. In this article, you are introduced to a collection of revered researchers from all over the world.
Mikhail Illarionovich Artamonov (~1898 , 1972)
This Soviet historian and archeologist earned the recognition as the ‘founding father of modern Khazar studies.’ With a scientific career that blossomed at Leningrad University, Artamonov served as a professor since 1935 and was head of the chair of archeology since 1949. Some of his studies include the exploration of Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements located by the Don River. He also researched the North Caucasus found in the Ukraine. One of his famous excavations was the Khazar fortress of Sarkel.
Sedat Alp (1913 , 2006)
When it comes to hailing the first archeologist in Turkey that specializes in Hittitology, Sedat Alp has become one of the leading names in the field. Alp was born in Karaferyr, which is now the current Veroia in Greece. His family traveled to Turkey when Greece and Turkey underwent an exchange of populations in 1923. In 1932, he received a state scholarship to attend the University of Leipzip. He would later transfer to the University of Berlin, where he studied history, Hittolology, Sumerology, Assyriology, and the ancient language and culture of Anatolia.
His studies also covered archeology in general. All of this research and study earned him a doctorate in the University of Berlin. In 1940, he returned to Turkey and started to teach the masses regarding Hititology at the Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography at Ankara University. In later years, he earned the position of dean of the faculty in 1959.
Alp is known for the exciting discovery of the mound of Masathoyuk, which offered massive quantities of Hittite cuneiform tablets , exceeded only to the Hittite capital near Corum.
About Hittitology
Hittitology deals with the research of the Hittites , an ancient Anatolian people that spoke a language related to the Indo European family. They lived in a kingdom found at Hattusa (located in the northern central part of Anatolia) during the 18th century BC. At its height of power, the Hittite empire thrived throughout the 14th century BC , involving the northwestern sections of Syria and parts of upper Mesopotamia. However, around 1180 BC marked the moment in time when the empire disintegrated into a handful of independent city-states that are typically referred to as “Neo-Hittite.” Some of these lands survived until the late part of the 8th century.
If you are interested in learning what a former Professor of Archaeology at the University of Glasgow has contributed and to learn who uncovered the tomb of Philip II of Macedon , check out ” Getting to Know Worldwide Archeologists Part 2.”