James Mellaart | |
|---|---|
 Mellaart at Çatalhöyük | |
| Born | 14 November 1925 London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 29 July 2012 (aged 86) London, United Kingdom |
| Other names | Jimmy Mellaart |
| Occupation(s) | Archaeologist, forger |
| Years active | 1951–91 |
| Spouse | Arlette Meryem Cenani 1954–2012 (his death) |
| Children | Alan Mellaart[1] |
James Mellaart FBA (14 November 1925 – 29 July 2012) was a British and Dutch archaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. He was expelled from Turkey when he was suspected of involvement with the antiquities black market. He was also involved in a string of controversies, including the so-called mother goddess controversy[2] in Anatolia, which eventually led to his being banned from excavations in Turkey in the 1960s.[3] After his death, it was discovered that Mellaart had forged many of his "finds", including murals and inscriptions used to discover the Çatalhöyük site.[4]
- ^ Zangger, Eberhard (11 October 2019). "James Mellaart: Pioneer…..and Forger". Popular Archeology. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ Mallett, Maria. "The Goddess from Anatolia". Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ Strauss, Robert L. (2014). "What Happened here?". Stanford Magazine. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023.
- ^ "James Mellaart: Pioneer…..and Forger" Popular Archaeology 11 Oct 2019