Archaeology, Sexism, and Scandal

Book excerpt: A true story of plagiarism, complicity, and a 1930s excavation that “has the arresting immediacy of investigative journalism” (The Journal of Hellenic Studies). The 1931 excavation season at Olynthus, Greece, ushered a sea change in how archaeologists study material culture—and was the nexus of one of the most egregious (and underreported) cases of plagiarism in the history of classical archaeology. In this book, Alan Kaiser draws on the private scrapbook that budding archaeologist Mary Ross Ellingson compiled during that dig, as well as her personal correspondence and materials from major university archives, to paint a fascinating picture of gender, power, and archaeology in the early twentieth century. Using Ellingson’s photographs and letters as a guide, Kaiser brings alive the excavations led by David Robinson and recounts how the unearthing of private homes—rather than public spaces—emerged as a means to examine the day-to-day of ancient life in Greece. But as Archaeology, Sexism, and Scandal clearly demonstrates, a darker story lurks beneath the smiling faces and humorous tales: one in which Robinson stole Ellingson’s words and insights for his own, and fellow academics looked the other way—denying her the credit she was due for more than eighty years. “Kaiser’s exciting and timely volume should force readers to openly confront gender-related biases in science and academia.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Important.” —Publishers Weekly “Highly recommended.” —Choic