Machteld Mellink
Encyclopedia
Machteld Johanna Mellink (October 26, 1917, Amsterdam
- February 24, 2006, Haverford, Pennsylvania
) was an archaeologist who studied Near Eastern cultures and history.
Mellink received her undergraduate training at the University of Amsterdam and her doctorate from Utrecht in 1943. Mellink moved to Bryn Mawr College
in the 1946 as a Marion Reilly Fellow and spent the summer of 1947 at the University of Chicago
on a Ryerson Grant. During this time she began excavating with Hetty Goldman at Tarsus
, in southern Turkey. She began teaching in the Bryn Mawr's Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology in 1949 and retired in 1988; in 1972 she was appointed to the Leslie Clark Chair in the Humanities. From 1950 until 1965 she was involved in the excavations at Gordium
, Turkey
, together with Rodney Young of the University of Pennsylvania
. Mellink's most well-known work focused on the site of Karatas-Semayük in the Elmali plain in Lycia
where she explored Early Bronze Age remains and tombs.
Mellink was professor emerita of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College
. In 1994 she received the Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for achievement in archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received the Archaeological Institute of America
's Gold Medal
for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement in 1991. The Ministry of Culture of Turkey recognized her as the Senior American Excavator in 1984 and the Senior Foreign Archaeologist in 1985. In 2001 the Archaeological Institute of America established in her honor the Machteld Mellink Lecture in Near Eastern Archaeology. Bryn Mawr College awarded her the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1975.
She was a Member of the American Philosophical Society, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Research Associate of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and a Corresponding Member of the Turkish Institute of History, the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, the German Archaeological Institute, and the Austrian Archaeological Institute, and many other international archaeological societies.
Her professional service included being President of the American Research Institute in Turkey from 1988-91, President of the Archaeological Institute of America from 1980-84, Trustee of the American Society of Oriental Research, Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College from 1955-83, and Acting Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Bryn Mawr College from 1979-80.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
- February 24, 2006, Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...
) was an archaeologist who studied Near Eastern cultures and history.
Mellink received her undergraduate training at the University of Amsterdam and her doctorate from Utrecht in 1943. Mellink moved to Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
in the 1946 as a Marion Reilly Fellow and spent the summer of 1947 at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
on a Ryerson Grant. During this time she began excavating with Hetty Goldman at Tarsus
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, in southern Turkey. She began teaching in the Bryn Mawr's Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology in 1949 and retired in 1988; in 1972 she was appointed to the Leslie Clark Chair in the Humanities. From 1950 until 1965 she was involved in the excavations at Gordium
Gordium
Gordium was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhüyük, about 70–80 km southwest of Ankara , in the immediate vicinity of Polatlı district. The site was excavated by Gustav and Alfred Körte in 1900 and then by the University of Pennsylvania Museum,...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, together with Rodney Young of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. Mellink's most well-known work focused on the site of Karatas-Semayük in the Elmali plain in Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
where she explored Early Bronze Age remains and tombs.
Mellink was professor emerita of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
. In 1994 she received the Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for achievement in archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received 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 1991. The Ministry of Culture of Turkey recognized her as the Senior American Excavator in 1984 and the Senior Foreign Archaeologist in 1985. In 2001 the Archaeological Institute of America established in her honor the Machteld Mellink Lecture in Near Eastern Archaeology. Bryn Mawr College awarded her the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1975.
She was a Member of the American Philosophical Society, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Research Associate of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and a Corresponding Member of the Turkish Institute of History, the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, the German Archaeological Institute, and the Austrian Archaeological Institute, and many other international archaeological societies.
Her professional service included being President of the American Research Institute in Turkey from 1988-91, President of the Archaeological Institute of America from 1980-84, Trustee of the American Society of Oriental Research, Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College from 1955-83, and Acting Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Bryn Mawr College from 1979-80.