Ottoman Perceptions of Western Archaeology

Emel Erten, Mersin University, Turkey

The waning years of the Ottoman Empire saw increasing western interest in the diverse ancient cultures and monuments subsumed within its boundaries. The early generations of western intellectuals were largely concerned with Homeric and Biblical legends; early travelers provided sentimental accounts that were engaging, but for the most part exaggerated and inaccurate. The establishment of scientific methodologies in archaeology beginning with the end of the nineteenth century brought improvements to field work and promised a more objective way of evaluating the past.  However, the turbulent historical circumstances affecting this region and the political interests of the western powers undermined the new archaeological objectivity. Archaeologists often found themselves enmeshed in local and international politics, at times compelled to contribute in ways that could hardly be said to be scientific or objective.  Evaluation of the activities and aims of early archaeological missions under the late Ottoman Empire, and Ottoman-Turkish attitudes towards them raises important questions.  What was the reaction of the late Ottoman state and public to the diplomatic pressures brought on by western powers and the blatant removal of antiquities by their scholars and agents? What was the nature and meaning of the past subsumed under their patrimony and its precious material remains?