George E. Mylonas
Encyclopedia
George Emmanuel Mylonas was a prominent Greek and Aegean archaeologist.
George Mylonas was a patriot with a deep attachment to his people, and while a student in Athens during the Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, he joined the Greek Army and was later taken prisoner. While a prisoner of war he lost enough weight that the permanent ID band that was welded onto his wrist was easily taken on and off and exchanged with other prisoners. His future wife fled Asia Minor with only her tennis racket and spent the war living with family friends in Greece.
Mylonas was in Smyrna when the city was destroyed by the Turks in late September, 1922. He remarked that the family silver was saved for him by a Turkish neighbor, though the rest of the family home, with the artwork, was confiscated by the government and never repatriated.
Following the War, he returned to his studies (he had been awarded his B.A. from the International College in Smyrna in 1918) and earned a doctorate from the University of Athens in 1927 with a dissertation entitled The Neolithic Period in Greece. About this time he also worked as Bursar
at the American School for Classical Studies at Athens. In 1928, he emigrated to America to study at Johns Hopkins University
and from that institution received a second Ph.D. the following year. At Johns Hopkins he was a student of David Moore Robinson
. He was married to Lela, both of them having been born in Asia Minor.
Before being naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1937, Mylonas began teaching at Washington University in St. Louis where he would remain from 1933 to 1968. There he was the founding chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology. A former student who arrived at the school in 1961 recalled that Mylonas was a "marvelous teacher"; by then he had been awarded the title of "Distinguished Professor" in the Arts and Sciences. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, and during the Second World War he worked for the Greek War Relief Organization. He renounced his American citizenship to avoid conflict issues as to allocation of archeological sites and status during the same time as the Vietnam War
, which led to some of his American relatives being denied security clearances.
For many years Mylonas directed Washington University's excavations at Mycenae. After retiring from teaching in 1968, he returned to Greece where he served as Secretary General of the Archaeological Society of Athens
and managed the dig at Mycenae until his death. In these later years he was very active in efforts to protect the Athenian Acropolis from environmental pollution.
In Old Phaleron/Acromycenae, where he lived, in addition to bringing tourists, he researched and restored the old spring that had served the area for thousands of years, bringing water to the local area. The valve for the spring was in his backyard and for a time his wife undertook the duty of making certain that the water flowed every night.
Mylonas is well known for his fieldwork at Olynthus
as well as investigations at Mycenae
, Nemea, Corinth and Eleusis. During 1951 and 1952, he led the important excavation of Grave Circle B at Mycenae (ca. 1650-1550 BCE, Middle Helladic III to Late Helladic I), and succeeded in establishing that it pre-dated Heinrich Schliemann
's Grave Circle A.
He also briefly appeared in part one of Michael Wood's televised series, In Search of the Trojan War (1985). In a charming interview conducted at the citadel of Mycenae, Mylonas, with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye, speaks of Agamemnon, with whom he converses "all the time." He once said that the task of the archaeologist was to "infer from withered flowers the hour of their bloom."
He was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America
's Gold Medal
for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement in 1970, and a scholarship for undergraduate humanities majors at Washington University is named in Mylonas' honor. His daughter, Ione Mylonas Shear (1936–2005), was also an archaeologist until her death from lung cancer.
Mylonas had a son, Alex, who obtained his PhD from Yale
after serving in the U.S. Army and was teaching at Harvard until Alex died in an automobile accident, another daughter Nike (Eunice Hale) and Ione's twin sister Daphne who served four missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after being disowned by her family for joining the church. Nike's son is a well received artist, her daughter is a medical doctor. Ione's daughter followed her in archeology. Her husband was in charge of the Agora
at Athens until his retirement and taught at Princeton University
. T. Leslie Shear was featured in a cameo in Readers Digest about Greeks and Archeology.
Mylonas' works include: The Balkan States; An Introduction to Their History (1946) -- written in response to what he felt were inaccuracies being taught to his son in school; Mycenae: The Capital City of Agamemnon (1957); Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries (1961); Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age (1966); Grave Circle B of Mycenae (1972); Mycenae, A Guide to Its Ruins and Its History (1981); and Mycenae Rich in Gold (1983).
George Mylonas was a patriot with a deep attachment to his people, and while a student in Athens during the Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, he joined the Greek Army and was later taken prisoner. While a prisoner of war he lost enough weight that the permanent ID band that was welded onto his wrist was easily taken on and off and exchanged with other prisoners. His future wife fled Asia Minor with only her tennis racket and spent the war living with family friends in Greece.
Mylonas was in Smyrna when the city was destroyed by the Turks in late September, 1922. He remarked that the family silver was saved for him by a Turkish neighbor, though the rest of the family home, with the artwork, was confiscated by the government and never repatriated.
Following the War, he returned to his studies (he had been awarded his B.A. from the International College in Smyrna in 1918) and earned a doctorate from the University of Athens in 1927 with a dissertation entitled The Neolithic Period in Greece. About this time he also worked as Bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
at the American School for Classical Studies at Athens. In 1928, he emigrated to America to study at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and from that institution received a second Ph.D. the following year. At Johns Hopkins he was a student of David Moore Robinson
David Moore Robinson
David Moore Robinson was an American classical archaeologist credited with the discovery of the city of Olynthus....
. He was married to Lela, both of them having been born in Asia Minor.
Before being naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1937, Mylonas began teaching at Washington University in St. Louis where he would remain from 1933 to 1968. There he was the founding chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology. A former student who arrived at the school in 1961 recalled that Mylonas was a "marvelous teacher"; by then he had been awarded the title of "Distinguished Professor" in the Arts and Sciences. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, and during the Second World War he worked for the Greek War Relief Organization. He renounced his American citizenship to avoid conflict issues as to allocation of archeological sites and status during the same time as the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, which led to some of his American relatives being denied security clearances.
For many years Mylonas directed Washington University's excavations at Mycenae. After retiring from teaching in 1968, he returned to Greece where he served as Secretary General of the Archaeological Society of Athens
Archaeological Society of Athens
The Archaeological Society of Athens is an independent learned society. Also termed the Greek Archaeological Society, it was founded in 1837, just a few years after the establishment of the modern Greek State, with the aim of encouraging archaeological excavations, maintenance, care and exhibition...
and managed the dig at Mycenae until his death. In these later years he was very active in efforts to protect the Athenian Acropolis from environmental pollution.
In Old Phaleron/Acromycenae, where he lived, in addition to bringing tourists, he researched and restored the old spring that had served the area for thousands of years, bringing water to the local area. The valve for the spring was in his backyard and for a time his wife undertook the duty of making certain that the water flowed every night.
Mylonas is well known for his fieldwork at Olynthus
Olynthus
Olynthus was an ancient city of Chalcidice, built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the head of the Gulf of Torone, near the neck of the peninsula of Pallene, about 2.5 kilometers from the sea, and about 60 stadia Olynthus was an ancient city of...
as well as investigations at Mycenae
Mycenae
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north...
, Nemea, Corinth and Eleusis. During 1951 and 1952, he led the important excavation of Grave Circle B at Mycenae (ca. 1650-1550 BCE, Middle Helladic III to Late Helladic I), and succeeded in establishing that it pre-dated Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, and an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer. Schliemann was an archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns...
's Grave Circle A.
He also briefly appeared in part one of Michael Wood's televised series, In Search of the Trojan War (1985). In a charming interview conducted at the citadel of Mycenae, Mylonas, with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye, speaks of Agamemnon, with whom he converses "all the time." He once said that the task of the archaeologist was to "infer from withered flowers the hour of their bloom."
He was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America
Archaeological Institute of America
The Archaeological Institute of America is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It has offices on the campus of Boston University and in New York City.The institute was founded in 1879,...
's Gold Medal
Gold Medal of the Archaeological Institute of America
The Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement is awarded by the Archaeological Institute of America in "recognition of a scholar who has made distinguished contributions to archaeology through his or her fieldwork, publications, and/or teaching."It is the Institute's highest award...
for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement in 1970, and a scholarship for undergraduate humanities majors at Washington University is named in Mylonas' honor. His daughter, Ione Mylonas Shear (1936–2005), was also an archaeologist until her death from lung cancer.
Mylonas had a son, Alex, who obtained his PhD from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
after serving in the U.S. Army and was teaching at Harvard until Alex died in an automobile accident, another daughter Nike (Eunice Hale) and Ione's twin sister Daphne who served four missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after being disowned by her family for joining the church. Nike's son is a well received artist, her daughter is a medical doctor. Ione's daughter followed her in archeology. Her husband was in charge of the Agora
Agora
The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states. Early in Greek history , free-born male land-owners who were citizens would gather in the Agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the Agora also served as a marketplace where...
at Athens until his retirement and taught at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. T. Leslie Shear was featured in a cameo in Readers Digest about Greeks and Archeology.
Mylonas' works include: The Balkan States; An Introduction to Their History (1946) -- written in response to what he felt were inaccuracies being taught to his son in school; Mycenae: The Capital City of Agamemnon (1957); Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries (1961); Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age (1966); Grave Circle B of Mycenae (1972); Mycenae, A Guide to Its Ruins and Its History (1981); and Mycenae Rich in Gold (1983).