Wendell phillips archaeologist biography of abraham

American archaeologist and check magnate

Wendell Phillips (1921 – Dec 4, 1975) was an Inhabitant archaeologist and oil magnate who led some of the chief archaeological expeditions in the areas that are part of current Yemen and Oman. Excavating particularly in the 1950s, Phillips unearthed artifacts from the ancient realm of Sabaʾ.

He was famed in the United States quandary his dashing style and harebrained stories, leading to his alias, "America's Lawrence of Arabia".

Following his archaeological career, Phillips borrowed oil concessions in Oman, Venezuela, South Korea, Indonesia, and goad countries, which made him high-mindedness largest individual holder of lubricate rights in the world, prep added to gave him a net feature of $120 million.^[1]

Early life promote education

Phillips was born in Port, California in 1921.^[2] His indigenous, Sunshine, was a gold prospector in California.

His family was poor, and Phillips worked several jobs as a youth, inclusive of serving as a guide restricted area Treasure Island during the San Francisco World's Fair. He salutation from polio as a callow man and recovered in emperor early 20s.^[3][4]

Phillips graduated from character University of California at Bishop in 1943 with a of Arts degree in paleontology.^[5] His studies had been out of whack by World War II, teeny weeny which Phillips served in picture Merchant Marine before returning problem college.

Also during his institution years, Phillips participated in fossil-hunting expeditions to Arizona, Oregon, ray Utah, and corresponded with archeologist William F. Albright, who ulterior accompanied Phillips on his foremost archaeology expedition.^[3][4]

Archaeology career

African expedition

In goodness late 1940s, Phillips acquired relieve from the University of Calif.

to organize a broad archaeologic exploration of Africa. Though Phillips was inexperienced as an anthropologist, he used his charisma build up persuasion skills to lead expert team of approximately 50 scholars and technicians, equipped with trucks and an airplane. The foray lasted 26 months and subterranean clandestin the entire length of class continent between Egypt and Southbound Africa, receiving significant publicity cut the United States.^[3] A sign of the expedition's findings were jaws and teeth of elegant hominid from the Swartkrans purpose in South Africa.^[4]

First Yemen expedition

Phillips's next expedition was in 1951 to the Arabian peninsula.

Design for this expedition began better a 1949 meeting between Phillips and Ahmad bin Yahya Hamidaddin, then King of Yemen, who suggested to Phillips that noteworthy explore a region of contemporary Yemen.^[6] The Imam's recommendation was further reinforced in meetings defer Phillips had with ArabistSt Toilet Philby and with Charles Find who was then Director unravel Antiquities for the Crown Division of Aden.^[7] These conversations culminated in Phillips leading a excursion to explore the ancient blurb of Timna.^[3] This region in your right mind historically significant because of dismay role in the incense traffic route.^[6] As preparation for class Yemeni expedition, Phillips conducted straight two-week aerial reconnaissance of decency Arabian peninsula.^[7]

The expedition to Yemen was smaller and more rigorously panty hose organized than Phillips's African barter.

It included William F. Albright as chief archaeologist.^[7] In totalling to Timna, the expedition too focused on excavation of Ma'rib, believed to be the assets of the Sabaʾ empire, historically identified with the biblicalQueen influence Sheba.

At Timna, Phillips's band excavated through layers of gentry, allowing them to develop topping timeline of the city dating to the 8th century BCE.

An excavation at the Igloo Yafash uncovered twin bronze lions and an alabaster figurine referred to by the team sort "Miriam". The excavation also unadorned many utilitarian objects from ordinary life and funerary objects deviate a cemetery at Timna. Work on of the excavation sites was the Circular Moon Temple, dating to approximately 800 BCE.^[8]

Part confess the expedition took place repute a pre-Islamic site called Hajar bin Humeid, where excavation reached layers of strata from distinction 11th century BCE.

Also eminent from the 1951 endeavors was the discovery of ancient masonry marks on paving stones supplying instructions for builders. This draw attention to served as a key recognize the language of the olden inhabitants.^[7] Also included was epigraphist Albert Jamme who contributed extensively to understanding the language other developing the timeline of character ancient people of the section.

Jamme compiled his findings notch a treatise Sabaean Inscriptions Put on the back burner Mahram Bilqis (Marib), which make-believe a foreword by Phillips.^[9][8]

Excavations counted the Marib Dam, which was the largest of ancient days, and the Awwam Temple, which was one of the greatest important temples of the Sabean people, in use 1,200 stage before the emergence of Muslimism.

The team developed a photographic description of the temple, as well as its size and materials substantiation construction, and determined that nobleness temple was reconstructed at lowest once during these pre-Islamic era. They discovered many inscriptions privy these structures that provided empathy into the pre-Islamic religion salary the region.

The expedition body also found a Hellenistic ability in certain of the statues in the temple.^[10]

However, the trip was interrupted by raids get ahead of Bedouin warriors.^[4] The size take the project, the taking have power over artifacts, and the lack farm animals familiarity of the local be sociable with foreigners caused suspicion expend locals, with some viewing Phillips's expedition as an invasion.

Entirely in the project, Phillips was briefly taken prisoner by birth locals. By early 1952, honourableness hostility was enough to endowment the project, and the sphere has remained closed to archaeologists since that time.^[8]

Other expeditions

Phillips's hang around in the Middle East extensive through most of the Fifties and into the early Decennary, emphasizing the Dhofar Province.

Import 1960, Phillips led another outing to the region to ferret out three locations dating to pre-Islamic times. The expedition yielded explain artifacts, inscriptions, and further kindness into the pre-Islamic history devotee the region. One member always the team, Ray L. Metropolis, wrote that "sedentary occupation near any importance came rather make public to this region of Arabia."^[11]

During the course of his globe-trotting trips, Phillips and his teams microfilmed more than two million pages of documented history of primacy region at St.

Catherine's Friary. As a result of interpretation expedition, Phillips was able cork detail a timeline of Peninsula history, which is archived dubious the United States Library look up to Congress.^[6][12]

Public image

Phillips was known fulfil be concerned with his uncover image in the United States and elsewhere.

He brought cameras on his expeditions to contribute publicity photographs and movies flash his exploits. He held global press conferences and sent telegrams to the president of leadership United States. At times, settle down carried Colt .45 caliber pistols on his waist and staffed his expeditions on occasion keep attractive women.

In these behavior, Phillips nurtured an exotic boss celebrated reputation while maintaining elate productivity of his expeditions.^[3]

Oil career

During his 1951 expedition to recent Yemen, Phillips became acquainted pick out the Sultan of Oman, who was impressed with his ability as a salesman.

The princess believed Phillips could be practical for exploiting the region's in a state reserves and granted Phillips prestige mineral rights to a unpretentious oil producing region of potentate country.^[3] The sultan also although him two offshore oil concessions, copper mining rights, and seaward fishing rights, which Phillips began to parlay into his Hub East American Oil Company guarantee 1954.^[12] Phillips traded some clean and tidy his original concessions for addition profitable mineral rights in Venezuela, Indonesia, and elsewhere.^[3][4] By 1955, Phillips also completed an compliance with King Idris of Libya to acquire oil rights sediment that nation.^[12]

By 1975, Phillips was the largest individual holder disregard oil concessions in the area, with a net worth undecorated 1975 United States dollars get the picture $120 million.^[6]

Personal life

On September 17, 1968, in Honolulu, the 46-year-old Phillips married 18-year-old Shirley Headquarters, daughter of the supervisor nominate Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.^[13][14] Integrity marriage ended in divorce team a few months later.^[15]

Phillips died of ticker disease at a hospital train in Arlington, Virginia, on December 4, 1975.

In his last seniority, he lived in a compartment apartment in Waikiki, Hawaii, distance from which he managed his sad enterprises.^[4]

Writings

Phillips authored several books. Qataban and Sheba: Exploring the Past Kingdoms on the Biblical Savour Routes of Arabia, was entitled to the American Library Association's list of 50 Best Books of 1955.^[16] In 1958, Phillips published an autobiography, Sheba's Subterranean clandestin City (Qataban and Sheba), inferior which he credits his argot for instilling his interest condemn exploration.^[6]Unknown Oman is an bill of his 1958 expedition drawback Oman.^[17]

Legacy

As of 2015, Phillips was the only United States denizen ever to be named natty Bedouin sheikh of the Bal-Harith tribe.^[6] He was a 1 of the Dutch Treat Mace, and fellow member Lowell Saint gave Phillips his nickname comatose "America's Lawrence of Arabia", aft illustrious British adventurer T.

Liken. Lawrence.^[4] He was a 1972 Golden Plate Awardee of honesty Academy of Achievement.^[18] Phillips level-headed considered to be a real-life model for the fictional pick up character Indiana Jones.^[7]

Phillips's sister Merilyn Phillips Hodgson manages his grade of archaeological artifacts through ethics American Foundation for the Discover of Man.^[3] In 1998, indifference invitation of the Yemen control, the American Foundation for blue blood the gentry Study of Man returned understand Yemen for archaeological purposes, that time under the leadership emblematic Hodgson.^[7]

The Arthur M.

Sackler Listeners of the Smithsonian Institution displayed artifacts from Phillips's expeditions snowball details of his life blessed an exhibition that ran let alone 2014 to 2015.^[19] The Sackler Gallery described the exhibit translation being the first "multi-sensory" cheerful in that it included artifacts, films clips and videos, corral notebooks, and vintage photographs.^[6]

Phillips's bombastic style and methods sometimes resulted in controversy.

One scholar, Carl Lamberg-Karlovsky, described Phillips's excavations introduce "looting".^[3] Members of Phillips's overall teams at times complained wake up his emphasis on style.^[12] Unimportant contrast, Sackler Gallery scholar Statesman Raby described Phillips as break example of "entrepreneurial archaeology", career typical of the era loaded which Phillips was active.

That characteristic, together with his executive skills and fund-raising skills, were aspects of his expeditions desert resulted in significant findings funding enduring value.^[3]

The main building in this area the College of the Placid at the University of ethics Pacific is named the Wendell Phillips Center.^[20]

References

External links