Word: hanfmann
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Professor George M. A. Hanfmann's current ancient mystery is the fabulous Lydian civilization, whose capital city in Sardis, Turkey, will be excavated during the next three summers. He returned on April 14th from a preliminary survey of the area and will leave again late in May to begin digging. "Sardis is an extremely rich place," says Professor Hanfmann, his "r's" revealing a slight German accent. "There are several big ruins above ground from the Hellenistic and the Roman period, but the palace of Croesus and the Temple of Zeus are buried. We will probably take on some...
Professor Hanfmann's present role in the excavation of Sardis culminates a varied career in art and language. He was born in Russia but left in 1921 to become a Lithuanian citizen. Most of his education took place in Germany where he received a Ph.D. from the University of Berlin. "That was in the afterglow of the great German classical education, and the emphasis then was on philology." he explains. "My experience after coming to Fogg Museum, in 1935, was a very good counterpoise to that training. Fogg combined a museum with active art collecting--this was a new idea...
When World War II interrupted his scholarship, Professor Hanfmann was in the office of War Information. "My job was to control our dear writers to see that they didn't all go off in different directions. In London, I was chief of the German Language Section, and it was interesting work. We had to plan radio shows for broadcast to the Germans. Our Prisoner of War shows had a certain effect, I think, near the end when things were going badly for them...
...partner in the present effort is Professor Detweiler of Cornell. "There are two essential people in an excavation" says Professor Hanfmann, "an archeologist and an architect. Detweiler is both...
Stuart P. Atkins, professor of German; Herschel C. Baker, professor of English; Walter J. Bate '39, professor of English; Paul M. Doty, professor of Chemistry; George M.A. Hanfmann, professor of Fine Arts; Louis Hartz '40, professor of Government; Henry C. Hatfield '33, professor of German, Lynn H. Loomis '39, professor of Mathematics; and Harold A. Thomas, Jr., Gordon McKay Professor of Sanitary Engineering...