“Terminate and Liquidate”: How the Megiddo Ivories were Almost Not Discovered · 2020. 4....
Transcript of “Terminate and Liquidate”: How the Megiddo Ivories were Almost Not Discovered · 2020. 4....
“TerminateandLiquidate”:HowtheMegiddoIvorieswereAlmostNotDiscovered
By Er ic H . C l ine
AttheendofthefirstweekinMay1936,JohnWilson,whohadjusttakenoverasDirectorofthe
OrientalInstituteattheUniversityofChicago,sentacabletoGordonLoudandtheteamof
archaeologistsexcavatingatthesiteofMegiddo,inBritishMandatePalestine.
Aer ia l v iew o f Meg iddo .
Gordon Loud ca . 1930 in the courtyard o f the expedi t ion house a t
Khorsabad .
regret another megiddo season impossible expedition terminating now stop
can you remain to liquidate house and equipment…
[please] advise antiquities department of termination
Alongerletterwassentthesameday.Init,WilsonexplainedthattheInstituteadministrationhad
beentryingforthreeweekstofigureawayoutofadrasticfinancialdilemma,buthadfinally
concludedthattheyhadtoclosedownalloftheirexcavationsimmediately,ratherthanallowthemto
continueforanotheryear.
Whathadhappenedwassimple,butentirelyunanticipated.Inthewakeofthesuddendeaththe
previousDecemberofJamesHenryBreasted,thefounderandlong-timeDirector,thethree
RockefellerfoundationswhichhadbeenfinancingtheInstituteanditsexcavationssincethe
beginning,askedWilsontocomeupwithaplaninwhichtheoverall$700,000annualbudgetwas
drasticallyreducedby50percentormoreandthefieldprojectssimilarlycuttotheboneorshut
downcompletely.WithBreastednolongeraroundtopersonallydefendthevariousoverseas
undertakings,Wilsonhadnochoicebuttocomply.
ForthesmallteamatMegiddo,thiswastheendoftheworldastheyknewit;itwastheirown
personalArmageddon.TherehadbeenChicagoexcavatorssurveyinganddiggingatMegiddoevery
yearsince1925,butthiswasapparentlytheendoftheroad.Morecables,someincode,flewback
andforthacrosstheAtlanticinthenextseveraldays—threefromLoudtoWilsonalone.Inthem,
LoudterselytoldWilsonthatheandtheotherswouldremainatthesiteaslongasnecessaryto
liquidateeverything.Healsoasked,plaintively,whethertheymightexcavateforonemoreseason
afterall,onashoestringbudgetof$20,000,butWilsonrepliedthatwasimpossible.
However,LoudsooninformedWilsonthatthelocalconditionsweresounsettledthatliquidatingthe
dighouseandalltheirequipmentwouldbedifficult.Hefollowedupalmostimmediatelywith
anothercable,thistimeincode,statingthatthegrowingdisturbancesactuallymadeliquidation
totallyimpossible,andthatthegovernmentthoughtthesituationcouldlastforweeks.He
recommendedthattheypostponetheliquidationuntilthefall,ifthingshadcalmeddownbythen.
Asitturnedout,the“disturbances”lastedforafullsixmonths;theymarkedthebeginningofwhatis
nowknownasthe1936–39ArabRevoltinBritishMandatePalestine.Loudrecordedsomeofthe
eventsinhisfielddiary.On19April,henoted:“TheGarstangsdropinforfiveminutesaftertea...
butallarewhiskedawayinahurrybypolice.RiotsareunderwayinJaffaandTelAviv,andthepolice
aretakingprecautionsinkeepingpeopleofftheroadshere.SofarHaifaremainsquiet.”Thenextday
hewrotethatitremainedtobeseenwhateffecttheriotswouldhaveonthemlocally.By22April,he
notedthattheriotswerequietingdownandhadnotaffectedtheirlocalworksituation.
WhatLoudandtheotherswereexperiencingatthetimewasjusttheopeningstage,whichsoon
morphedintoageneralstrikethatlastedfromMaytoOctober1936.Asecond,moreviolentand
deadlier,phasewouldbeginayearlater,inthefallof1937,afterthePeelCommissionreleasedits
findingsinJulyofthatyear,concludingthatBritishcontroloftheareacouldnotbesustained,and
proposingapartition—dividingthelandbetweentheArabs,whowouldreceive80percent,andthe
Jews,whowouldreceive20percent.ThePeelreportledtoanescalationoftheprotests,whichlasted
until1939andresultedinaneventualdeathtollestimatedat150Britishsoldiers,500Jews,and
morethan3,000Arabs.However,thatstilllayabitinthefutureatthispoint.
Coded cab le sent f rom Loud to Wi lson on 11 May 1936 .
On12May,LoudmadehiswaydowntoJerusalem.ThenextmorninghewenttoseeErnest
Richmond,thedirectoroftheDepartmentofAntiquities.SinceRichmondwasunavailable,Loudmet
withRichardW.Hamilton,theactingdirector,andtoldhimthattheywerefinished,notjustforthe
season,butforever.ThemessageresonatedwithHamilton,forhehadbeenamemberoftheMegiddo
teamforafewweeksbackin1929.AhandwrittennotethatHamiltonpennedtoRichmondlaterthat
samedaycapturesLoud’sreluctantmessage:“TheOrientalInstitutehasofficiallycloseddownthe
expeditiontoMegiddo.Theyarepackingupeverythingexceptpictures,plants,etc.Mr.Parkerwill
returnintheautumntowinduptheiraffairs....Mr.Loudwishestokeepthematteroftheclosingof
thedigconfidentialforthepresent.”
However,theexpeditionreversedcoursefrompotentialterminationsoquicklythatworddoesnot
seemtohavespreadfar,ifatall.Wilsondecidedthattheywouldbeabletoallocate$28,000towarda
fieldseasonatMegiddofor1936–37afterall.First,though,theyhadtomakecertainthattheycould
getpermissiontodigagain.InearlySeptember,LoudsentletterstoRichmond,inhisroleasthe
directorofantiquities,andtothechiefsecretaryinJerusalem.Heexplainedthatrecentdevelopments
hadmadeanotherseasonatMegiddopossibleafterall,andthattheywouldliketopostponethe
liquidationandinsteaddigagainbeginninginNovemberorDecember.
Richmondrepliedpositively,sotheonlythingthatLoudhadtodonowwaswaittoseewhetherthe
generalstrikewouldeventuallycometoanend,allowingthemtobeginwork.Hesentcablesto
Richmondinquiringabouttheconditionsinmid-OctoberandthenagaininlateOctober,finally
receivingapositivereply:“asatpresentadvisedworkresumeabledecember.”Richmondalsosenta
licenseforLoudandtheOItodig,validforoneyear(asperusual),throughtheendofDecember
1937.
Thedigofficiallybeganagainon19December,lessthansixmonthsafterithadbeenscheduledfor
terminationandliquidation.Itwaslaterintheyearthantheyhadeverbegunbefore—inprevious
yearstheywouldhavebeenclosingdownaroundthistimeforthewinterbreak,butnowtheywere
justgettingstarted.
Aer ia l v iew o f Meg iddo in 1937 .
Itwasalsoaverysmallstaff:Loudasfielddirector,alongwithGeoffreyShiptonandHarryParker,
whohadbeenwiththeexcavationsincetheearlydaysofPLOGuyalmostadecadeearlier,andtwo
relativenewcomers,CharleyandAliceAltman,whohadpreviouslyworkedwithLoudatKhorsabad
inIraq.Thatwasit.TheMegiddoexpeditionwasbackdowntothesamesmallsizethatithadbeen
duringtheveryfirstexcavationseason,inthespringof1926.AsLoudtoldWilsonafewweekslater,
“Thefiveofusfairlyrattleaboutinthislargehouse.”
Onthebrightside,theyfoundthemselveswithaplethoraoflaborandweresoonoverseeingmore
thantwohundredworkerseachday,inlargepartbecausethelocalshadbeendriventotheedgeof
povertybythegeneralstrike,whichhadonlyjustendedinOctober.Loudsaidthattherewerestill
bitterfeelingsthroughoutthecountry,buttheirpropertyhadsufferednodamagewhiletheywere
away,andthelocalvillagershadbeenlookingafteritoftheirownaccord.
Meg iddo excavat ions . Courtesy o f the Ober l in Co l lege Arch ives .
Mending pot tery a t Meg iddo . Courtesy o f the Ober l in Co l lege Arch ives .
Po t tery rooma t Meg iddo . Courtesy o f the Ober l in Co l lege Arch ives .
Itwasnowdangeroustotravelatnight,though,forfearofbeingheldupbybandits,andtripsto
Jerusalemcouldbedonesafelyonlyinbroaddaylight.Asitturnedout,althoughWilsoncontinuedto
beconcernedaboutthepoliticalsituation,Loudandtheothersseemtohavehadnoproblemsduring
theentireseason—oratleastnonethattheyreported.
InlateJanuary,LoudsentalongmissivetoWilson,whichbeganwithhisblatantlystateddesirethat
theywouldfindsomethingsensationalsoon:“YourdesireforthesensationalfromMegiddoisno
greaterthanmine,”hewrote.“Somethingstartlingwouldcertainlybeabighelp.Mygreatestdesire
forthemoment,however,isforabreakontheweathersothatwemightdigtothepotofgold,
whateverformitmaytake.”
Asitturnedout,Loud’sletterwishingforthe“sensational”wasprophetic.Thecloudseventually
parted,thesuncameout,birdsstartedsinging,andsoforth,andtowardtheendofFebruary,Loud
wasabletowritetoWilsonsayingthatthenortharea,whichhehadpreviouslyperceivedasdulland
troublesome,“nowtakesitsfullshareofinterest.”Ashedescribedit,theLateBronzeAgepalacewas
provingtobebothextensiveandmagnificent,withwallsstandingashighasfourmetersinsome
placesandcoveredwithpaintedmudplaster.
Therewasalsoa“floorofshellswhichgivestheappearanceofamosaicpavement.”Furthermore,the
teambeganfindingpiecesofcarvedivory,somewithincisedEgyptianhieroglyphicsandothers
decoratedwithelaboratedesigns.Soontheseinitialpieceswouldbejoinedbyahostofadditional
artifacts,intheformofahoardofgoldobjectsfollowedimmediatelybyatreasuretroveofivory
objects.Allwerefoundwithinjustafewroomsofthepalaceinthenorthareaandmadethis“amost
successfulseason,”asWilsonlaterputit.InearlyMarch,Loudwrote,“Therecannolongerbeany
doubtoftheimportanceofthismound.”
TheyfoundthefirstpiecesonthefirstdayofMarch.Inhisfielddiaryentrythenextday,Loudwrote:
“Fullworkthepastthreedays,butsomanyextrastoattendtothatnon-essentialsmustslide.Allthis
largelyduetowhatisprobablythefindoftheseason—ahoardofgoldjewelry,vessels,etcin3100—
anouterroomofthenorthpalace.Sorich,sovaried,andsofragilearethefindsthatthereisinfinite
workinremovingandcleaningthem.Itbeganyesterdaymorningwhenashell-shapeddishinwhich
wasagreenstonejarcappedwithgoldfirstappeared.”
Stra tumVI I I go ld hoard under f loor o f Room3100 .
Fourdayslater,hesentacodedcabletoChicago,announcingthefind.Whendecodedontheother
end,themessageread:
stratum eight palace produces magnificent egyptian gold hoard:
—fluted shell-shaped bowl, perfume jars, jewelry, etc.
18th dynasty context [but] style suggests partly middle kingdom origin. unparalleled this country.
Loudalsosentamuchlongerletterlaterthatsameday,withallofthedetails.Itbegan:“DearJohn:In
oneofyourletters,youaskedforthesensational.IfI’mnotverymuchmistaken,Ithinkthisisnowa
faitaccompli.”Specifically,theyhadfoundahoardofgoldandivorytreasuredeliberatelyburied
underthefloorinthesouthwestcornerofasmallroom(3100)locatedatthenorthernendofthe
palace.Thepieceswereamazing,“amagnificentcollection,absolutelyuniqueinPalestine.”
However,allofthatwasjusttheappetizer.Themaincoursewasyettocome,foritsubsequently
turnedoutthattherewasmorethanjustthegoldhoardinthispalace.Infact,whattheyfoundnext
eclipsedthehoardalmostentirely,atleastintermsofdiscoveriesthataretodaymostfrequently
citedanddiscussedwhenitcomestoMegiddo.
InthesameletterthathesenttoWilsoninearlyMarch,Loudreportedthattheywereclearingthree
otherrooms,whichwereturningouttobe“veritablemines”ofivoryobjects.Injustonecornerof
oneroom,theyfound“combs,spoons,plaques,medallions,etc.allhelterskelterwithskeletonsofa
childandayoungcamelplusanotherhumanskull,andmorecamelskull!”Oneofthenicestpieces
wasstillhalf-buried,hesaid,butseemedtobepartofacuporgobletwithanexquisitelycarved
designofpomegranatesandscrolls.
The Treasury (3073) v iewed f rom the south .
Comple te an imal ske le ton and ivor ies in the western ha l f o f the nor thern
roomo f the Treasury , look ing eas t .
I vory pen case w i th car touche o f Ramses I I I .
Loudrarelyusedexclamationmarksinhisletters,sohemusthavebeentrulyexcitedwhenhewrote
allofthis.HelaterexplainedtoWilsonthathehadbeentemptedtosendacableaboutthediscovery
oftheivoriesaswellbuthadrefrained“lesstheshockofsomuchfromMegiddomightbetoomuch
foryou.”HealsotoldHowardMatthews,whowasinchargeoffinancialmattersattheOriental
Instituteatthetime,thatsincesendinghiscableaboutthegold,whichMatthewshadbeentheoneto
decodebackinChicago,theivories“havesofarsurpassedtheoriginalfindthatthey,ratherthanthe
gold,nowtakefirstplace.”
TheyhadfoundthefamousMegiddoivories.
Ittookthemmorethanamonthofwork,from6Marchuntil7April,justtocarefullyexcavateand
removealloftheivories,allthewhileentertainingvisitorswhocametoseetheirfinds,including
someofthebest-knownarchaeologistsworkinginthearea,fromthereveredSirWilliamMatthew
FlindersPetrie(BritisharchaeologistandEgyptologistextraordinaire)toNelsonGlueck(later
presidentofHebrewUnionCollege),EliezerSukenik(laterrenownedforpurchasingandtranslating
thefirstthreeDeadSeaScrolls),OlgaTufnell(whowasexcavatingatLachishwithJamesStarkey),
andGeraldLankesterHarding(directoroftheDepartmentofAntiquitiesofJordanatthetime).
Removingtheivorieswasanelaborateandtime-consumingprocessthatinvolvedusingcelluloidto
hardenorpiecetogetherthefragments;applyingsolventtosoftenthedirtthatremainedattached;
andoccasionallystickingpapertothefragments,againusingcopiousamountsofcelluloid,which
couldlaterbeeasilypeeledoff.
Earlyon,Loudestimatedthatthereweremorethanahundred“first-classpieces.”Infact,thereare
closertofourhundredpiecesalltold,includingitemsthatLoudthoughthad“Egyptian,Syrian,
Cretan,andAssyrianmotives.”Hewascorrect—laterscholarshaveconfirmedtheinternational
natureofthiscollection,detectingHittite,Mycenaean,Egyptian,Ugaritic,Canaanite,andAssyrian
motifs.TheyfoundsomanyivoriesthatLoudhadtohireaphotographernamedG.EricMatson,from
theAmericanColonyinJerusalem,tohelpoutwithallofthedocumentation.
Thegoldhoardandtheivorytreasurefoundduringthespringof1937turnedouttobethehigh
pointofLoud’sfourseasonsofexcavation,intermsofglitteringitemsthatwouldcatchthepublic’s
imagination.However,hisfinalseasonsprovedtobejustasimportanttotheoverallaimsandgoals
oftheexpedition.Itwasduringthattimetheywereabletofinishdiggingallthewaydownto
bedrockinAreaBB—theireastdig—andtocompletetheirreconstructionoftheentireoccupational
sequenceofMegiddo,fromtheearliestindicationsofinhabitationinStratumXXtothefinal
abandonmentofthemoundafterStratumI.
Alongtheway,though,inthesefinalseasons,theyhadtodealwiththecontinueddangersthatcame
withlivinginBritishMandatePalestineduringtheArabRevolt,whichhadbegunwiththegeneral
strikein1936andwasnowenteringitsfinalandmostviolentphase.FortheteamatMegiddo,this
includedadeaththreatagainstLoud,theattemptedassassinationoftheirgoodfriendHarryIliffe
fromtheAntiquitiesDepartment,andthemurderofanarchaeologicalcolleague,JamesStarkey,the
excavatorofLachish,whowasenroutetotheofficialopeningofthenewPalestineArchaeological
Museum.
Butthosearestoriesforanothertime.
Eric H. Cline is Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology at
the George Washington University.
This excerpt is from Digging Up Armageddon: The Search for the Lost City of Solomon (Princeton
University Press, 2020). Footnotes or references can be found in the published book. Archival
material and quotations are reproduced by permission of the Oriental Institute at the University of
Chicago and the Israel Antiquity Authority, as described in greater detail in the book.