Introduction to the Archives of the Department of Classics
The holdings of the Archives of the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati consist primarily of records relating to the department’s archaeological explorations over the past several decades. In addition to excavation records from famous sites such as the Palace of Nestor at Pylos and Troy, the Archives also houses records from numerous surveys in Greece and Albania.
Beyond excavation and survey records, the Archives contain personal papers and memorabilia of past members of the department, such as Carl W. Blegen, as well as individuals closely affiliated with the department, such Marion Rawson and Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. We also hold a number of original drawings and paintings by Piet de Jong who often worked with Carl W. Blegen at numerous sites.
In 2024 we added the archives of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory (PASP) from the University of Texas at Austin. Those contents are described below.
For information regarding the collections of the Archives, please contact the archivist, Jeff Kramer, at clasarch@uc.edu.
Image Rights and Permissions
Individuals wishing to use images or other content to which the Department of Classics controls the copyright should contact Carol Hershenson at classpub@ucmail.uc.edu regarding the process, fees (when applicable), and credit lines. All terms and conditions must be agreed to before the image or other material may be used.
Collections – Excavations and Surveys
The excavation and survey records for the Archives and Special Collections of the Department of Classics are listed herein alphabetically by location. Entries contain information regarding the principal individuals involved in creating the records in the collection, the principal dates that the majority of the records were created, a scope and content note for the collection, and information regarding access to the collection. If a finding-aid is currently available, a link is provided.
Eutresis Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-EUTRESIS
Principal Creators: John L. Caskey (1908-1981) and Elizabeth G. Caskey (1910-1994)
Title: Eutresis Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1958-1960
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: John L. Caskey, while Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, led the reexamination of Eutresis in 1958 under the auspices of the School and at the invitation of Hetty Goldman who excavated the site in 1927. Elizabeth G. Caskey supervised part of the excavation and was responsible for the field notes.
Series (and subseries) in the Eutresis Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative and photographic records) and Studies and Publications (Series II containing original manuscripts submitted for publication).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Eutresis Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Eutresis excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. (the Archives in general are here while the Eutresis Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in December 2017, click here.
Goniá Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-GONIA
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971) and Piet de Jong (1887-1967)
Title: Goniá Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1916
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The site of Goniá was excavated by Carl W. Blegen while he served as Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. The site was investigated from 1 to 18 August 1916.
Series (and subseries) in the Goniá Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative and photographic records) and Studies and Publications (Series II containing other records related to studies and publications).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Goniá Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Goniá excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. (the Archives in general are here while the Goniá Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2018, click here.
Hymettos Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-HYMETTOS
Principal Creators: Piet de Jong (1887-1967)
Title: Hymettos Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1923, 1924, and 1939
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen directed excavation at the site of Hymettos (also known as Hymettus) in 1923 and 1924, while he served as Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Blegen returned to the site briefly in 1939 and co-directed the excavation with Rodney S. Young.
Series (and subseries) in the Hymettos Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative and photographic records).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Hymettos Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Hymettos excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. (the Archives in general are here while the Hymettos Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2018, click here.
Keos/Kea Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-KEOS/KEA
Principal Creators: John L. Caskey (1908-1981), Elizabeth M. Schofield (1935-2005), and Elizabeth T. Blackburn (1936-2025)
Title: Keos/Kea Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1960-1970, 1981-2005
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: John L. Caskey led excavations and study on the island of Keos/Kea at the sites of Ayia Irini and Kephala from 1960-1970 under the auspices of both the University of Cincinnati and of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Investigation of the site and excavated material continued under the direction of Elizabeth M. Schofield until 1987.
Series (and subseries) in the Keos/Kea Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence; material permission requests; director’s notebooks and guest notebooks; and excavation accounts), Excavation Records (Series II containing notebooks; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; and other excavation records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; original manuscripts submitted for publication; specialist studies; other records related to studies and publications), Other Records (Series IV), and Artifactual Materials (Series V containing samples).
Access: The collection has been partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Keos/Kea Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Keos/Kea excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the Archives in general are here while the Keos/Kea Excavations Finding-Aid is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: A finding-aid for this entry is in preparation.
Keos/Kea Survey
Accession Code: SUV-KEOS/KEA
Principal Creators: Jack L. Davis and John F. Cherry
Title: Keos/Kea Survey Records
Principal Dates: 1983-1987
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The Keos/Kea Survey was a multifaceted project organized by Jack L. Davis and John F. Cherry in 1983. Co-directed by Eleni Mantzourani and conducted under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, the project applied intensive archaeological surface survey techniques to portions of the island of Keos/Kea for the purposes of documenting and explaining changes in the history of prehistoric and historic settlement and land use. The surrounding natural environment was also investigated.
Series in the Keos/Kea Survey Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence), Survey Records (Series II containing notebooks; forms and find records; illustrative and photographic records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing other records related to studies and publications), Other Records (Series IV), and Artifactual Materials (Series V containing samples).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Keos/Kea Survey Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in July 2017, click here.
Korakou Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-KORAKOU
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971) and Jack L. Davis
Title: Korakou Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1915-1916
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen, while a graduate student at Yale University, led the excavation of Korakou. Excavations occurred in 1915 and 1916, and Blegen submitted the report as his dissertation. Jack L. Davis conducted research on the Late Helladic I material for a 1979 article in Hesperia.
Series (and subseries) in the Korakou Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing correspondence), and Excavation Records (Series II containing illustrative and photographic records and unpublished reports/records).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Korakou Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Korakou excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. (the Archives in general are here while the Korakou Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2018, click here.
Mallakastra Regional Archaeological Project (MRAP)
Accession Code: SUV-MRAP
Principal Creators: Jack L. Davis and Sharon R. Stocker
Title: Mallakastra Regional Archaeological Project (MRAP) Survey Records
Principal Dates: 1996, 1998-2003
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The Mallakastra Regional Archaeological Project (MRAP) was a multi-disciplinary and diachronic archaeological expedition initiated by Sharon R. Stocker, Jack L. Davis, and Muzafer M. Korkuti in 1996. The primary aim of the project was to investigate the history of prehistoric and historic settlement and land use in central Albania focused on the area around the Greek colony of Apollonia. The project employed intensive archaeological surface survey techniques while investigating the surrounding natural environment.
Series in the Mallakastra Regional Archaeological Project (MRAP) Survey Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence; survey accounts), Survey Records (Series II containing notebooks; forms and find records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; other survey records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; specialist studies; other records related to studies and publications), Other Records (Series IV), and Artifactual Materials (Series V containing samples and artifacts).
Access: The collection has been partially processed but is closed pending publication. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Mallakastra Regional Archaeological Project (MRAP) Survey Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Notes (2): For the MRAP Website, click here.
Finding-Aid: The current version of the finding-aid is unavailable pending publication.
Midea Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-MIDEA
Principal Creators: Gisela Walberg
Title: Midea Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1985-2001
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Gisela Walberg led the excavation of the Lower Terraces at the site of Midea from 1985-1991 and 1994-1997 under the auspices the Swedish Institute in Athens and with funding by the University of Cincinnati. The excavation was an integral part of a joint Swedish-Greek project under the direction of Katie Demakopoulou and Paul Åström.
Series (and subseries) in the Midea Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence; material permission requests; director’s notebooks and guest notebooks; and excavation accounts), Excavation Records (Series II containing notebooks; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; and other excavation records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; original manuscripts submitted for publication; specialist studies; other records related to studies and publications), and Other Records (Series IV).
Access: The collection has been partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Midea Excavation Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2019.0.3 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in August 2023, click here.
Nemea Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-NEMEA
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971), Marion Rawson (1899-1980), John L. Caskey (1908-1981), James P. Harland (1891-1973), Piet de Jong (1887-1967), and Charles K. Williams II (1930-)
Title: Nemea Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1924-1927, 1961-1974
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen, while Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, led the excavation of the site known as Nemea under the auspices of the American School and the financial assistance of the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. Excavations occurred in 1924-1927. Later exploration of the site, under Charles K. Williams II, was also partially supported by the Department.
Series (and subseries) in the Nemea Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing correspondence), Excavation Records (Series II containing photocopies of notebooks; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; and unpublished reports/records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; original manuscripts submitted for publication; other records related to studies and publications), and Other Records (Series IV).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Nemea Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Nemea excavations, see also Blegen, Carl William under Collections – Personal Papers and Memorabilia. Also see the collection in the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Book Library (available here) regarding Carl W. Blegen. Finally, also see the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the Archives in general are here while the Nemea Architectural Drawings Collection Finding-Aid is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Notes (3): For the Omeka Digital Nemea Exhibit is available here.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2020, click here.
Nemea Valley Archaeological Project Archaeological Survey (NVAP-AS)
Accession Code: SUV-NVAP-AS
Principal Creators:James C. Wright, Jack L. Davis, John F. Cherry, and Eleni Mantzourani
Title: Nemea Valley Archaeological Project Archaeological Survey (NVAP-AS) Survey Records
Principal Dates: 1983, 1984-1996
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The Nemea Valley Archeological Project Archaeological Survey (NVAP-AS) was a multifaceted project organized in 1983 by James C. Wright and co-directed by John F. Cherry, Jack L. Davis, and Eleni Mantzourani. Conducted under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, the primary aim of the project was to investigate, document, and explain changes in the history of prehistoric and historic settlement and land use within approximately 80 square kilometers centered around the Nemea Valley. The project employed intensive archaeological surface survey techniques while investigating the surrounding natural environment.
Series (and subseries) in the Nemea Valley Archaeological Project Archaeological Survey (NVAP-AS) Survey Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence; and survey accounts), Survey Records (Series II containing notebooks; forms and find records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; and other survey records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; original manuscripts submitted for publication; specialist studies; other records related to studies and publications), and Other Records (Series IV).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Nemea Valley Archaeological Project Archaeological Survey (NVAP-AS) Survey Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Notes (2): For the NVAP-AS Website, click here.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in March 2020, click here.
Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS)
Accession Code: EXV-PARP:PS
Principal Creators: Steven Ellis
Title: Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS) Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 2005-ongoing
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Since 2005, Steven Ellis has directed the Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia under the auspices of the University of Cincinnati and the American Academy in Rome. Excavating a large sub-elite neighborhood in Regiones I and VIII of Pompeii, the goals of the project have been to reveal the structural and social relationships over time between Pompeian households of variable economic portfolios, to determine the role that sub-elites played in the shaping of Roman urban networks, and to register their response to city- and Mediterranean-wide historical, political, and economic developments. An additional and especially important aim has been to unravel the complex connections between urban infrastructure (especially waste management) and the making of long-lived, complex urban sites.
Series (and subseries) in the Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS) Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative records) and Artifactual Materials (Series II containing samples).
Access: The collection has been partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS) Excavation Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in August 2019, click here.
Prosymna Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-PROSYMNA
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971), Dorothy H. Cox (1893-1978), and Piet de Jong (1887-1967)
Title: Prosymna Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1925, 1927, 1928-1931
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The site of Prosymna (also known as the Argive Heraion/Heraeum) was excavated in 1925 (9 March to 11 May) and 1927 (17 April to 31 May) by Carl W. Blegen while he served as Assistant Director and Acting Director (respectively) of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. For the final season in 1928 (17 April to 8 June), he was a member of the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati.
Series (and subseries) in the Prosymna Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative and photographic records) and Studies and Publications (Series II containing other records related to studies and publications).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Prosymna Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Prosymna excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the Archives in general are here while the Prosymna Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in March 2018, click here.
Pylos Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-PYLOS
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971) and Marion Rawson (1899-1980)
Title: Pylos Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1939, 1952-1969
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen led the excavation of the site known as the Palace of Nestor (Epano Englianos) in 1939 (with K. Kourouniotis) and from 1952-1966 (with S. Marinatos) under the auspices of both the University of Cincinnati and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Subsequent study by him and his team, particularly Marion Rawson, continued in the years 1967-1969 (also with S. Marinatos).
Series (and subseries) in the Pylos Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing correspondence; material permission requests; and excavation accounts), Excavation Records (Series II containing notebooks; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; and unpublished reports/records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing original manuscripts submitted for publication; specialist studies; guide to the Palace of Nestor materials; other records related to studies and publications), Pylos Tablets Records (Series IV containing administrative records and correspondence; other records), Other Records (Series V), and Artifactual Materials (Series VI containing samples and artifacts).
Access: The collection has been partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Pylos Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Pylos excavations, see also Blegen, Carl William under Collections – Personal Papers and Memorabilia. For additional information regarding the Pylos tablets, see Bennett, Emmett Leslie, Jr. under Collections – Personal Papers and Memorabilia. Also see the collection in the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Book Library (available here) regarding Carl W. Blegen. Finally, also see the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the Archives in general are here while the Pylos Excavations Finding-Aid is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2019.0.3 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in July 2023, click here.
Pylos Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP)
Accession Code: SUV-PRAP
Principal Creators: Jack L. Davis and John Bennet
Title: Pylos Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP) Survey Records
Principal Dates: 1990-1997
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: The Pylos Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP) was a multi-disciplinary, diachronic archaeological survey formally initiated in 1990 by Jack L. Davis. The primary aim of the project was to investigate the prehistoric and historic settlement and land use in western Messenia focused around the Bronze Age administrative center known as the Palace of Nestor. The project employed archaeological surface survey techniques while investigating the surrounding natural environment.
Series (and subseries) in the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP) Survey Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and grants; correspondence; director’s notebooks and guest notebooks; and survey accounts), Survey Records (Series II containing notebooks; forms; illustrative and photographic records; photographs and slides; unpublished reports/records; and other survey records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing original manuscripts submitted for publication; Sandy Pylos), and Other Records (Series IV).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Pylos Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP) Survey Records.
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Notes (2): For the PRAP Website, click here.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in October 2017, click here.
Troy Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-TROY
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971), Marion Rawson (1899-1980), and John L. Caskey (1908-1981)
Title: Troy Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1931-1968
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen led the excavation of the site identified as Troy (Hisarlık) from 1932-1938 under the auspices of the University of Cincinnati. The concession was obtained in 1931 by William T. Semple from the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Among the team members was Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who had excavated at the site previously.
Series (and subseries) in the Troy Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing permits and permit-related records; correspondence; director’s notebooks and guest notebooks; and excavation accounts), Excavation Records (Series II containing notebooks; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; and other excavation records), Studies and Publications (Series III containing publication plans and assignments; original manuscripts submitted for publication; specialist studies; other records related to studies and publications), Other Records (Series IV), and Artifactual Materials (Series V containing samples).
Access: The collection has been partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Troy Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Troy excavations, see also Blegen, Carl William under Collections – Personal Papers and Memorabilia. Also see the collection in the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Book Library (available here) regarding Carl W. Blegen. Finally, also see the Carl William Blegen Papers in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (available here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2019.0.3 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in June 2022, click here.
To access The Digital Troy Project, please click here.
Post Bronze Age Troy Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-PBATROY
Principal Creators: C. Brian Rose, Manfred Korfmann (1942-2005), and Getzel Cohen (1942-2015)
Title: Post Bronze Age Troy Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1988-2003
Principal Language: English and German
Scope and Content: C. Brian Rose led the excavations and study of the post-Bronze Age areas at the site identified as Troy (Hisarlık) from 1988-2002 under the auspices of the University of Cincinnati. The excavation was co-directed by Manfred Korfmann from the University of Tübingen.
Series (and subseries) in the Troia Excavation Records include: Administrative Records and Correspondence (Series I containing applications and grants; members' records; correspondence; newletters; and excavation accounts), Excavation Records (Series II containing excavation reports; finds records; illustrative and photographic records; unpublished reports/records; publicity; and other excavation records), and Other Records (Series III).
Access: The collection is partially processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Post Bronze Age Troy Excavation Records
Notes (1): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2019.0.3 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2022, click here.
Zygouries Excavation
Accession Code: EXV-ZYGOURIES
Principal Creators: Carl W. Blegen (1886-1971), Leicester B. Holland (1882-1952), and Piet de Jong (1887-1967)
Title: Zygouries Excavation Records
Principal Dates: 1921 and 1922
Principal Language: English
Scope and Content: Carl W. Blegen directed excavation at the site of Zygouries in 1921 (13 April to 21 May) and 1922 (22 August to 27 September), while he served as Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
Series (and subseries) in the Zygouries Excavation Records include: Excavation Records (Series I containing illustrative and photographic records).
Access: The collection has been processed. Please contact the archivist for further information.
Citation: Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Zygouries Excavation Records
Notes (1): For additional information about the Zygouries excavations, see also the collections in the Archives of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the Archives in general are here while the Zygouries Inventory is here).
Notes (2): Standards applied in the finding-aid conform to DACS (2013, revised March 2015 and posted here).
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in February 2018, click here.
Collections – Personal Papers and Memorabilia
The personal papers and memorabilia for the Archives and Special Collections of the Department of Classics are listed herein alphabetically by individual. Entries contain information regarding the principle individuals referenced in the collection, the principal dates that the majority of the records were created, a scope and content note for the collection, and information regarding access to the collection. If a finding-aid is currently available, a link is provided.
Bennett, Emmett Leslie, Jr. (1918-2011)
Accession Code: UC CLAS-ELB, Jr.
Principle Creators: Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. and Carl W. Blegen
Principle Date(s): 1939-2004
Scope and Content: Correspondence from and to Emmett L. Bennett, Jr.. Holdings are diverse in type and contain correspondence, photographic material, notebook copies and transcriptions from Pylos, glossaries, and concordances. Other memorabilia includes Bennett's 2001 Gold Medal from the Archaeological Institute of America.
Access: Restricted. Please contact the archivist for information.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in November 2016, click here.
Blackburn, Elizabeth Tucker
Accession Code: UC CLAS-ETB
Principle Creator: Elizabeth Tucker Blackburn
Principle Date(s): 1982-2001
Scope and Content: Records are diverse in type and contain correspondence, photographic material, and orther various records. Memorabilia includes a personal photograph album.
Access: Restricted. Please contact the archivist for information.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, last edited in August 2023, click here.
Blegen, Carl William (1887-1971)
Accession Code: UC CLAS-CWB
Principle Creators: Carl W. Blegen, John L. Caskey, Marion Rawson, Cedric Boulter, and Alan J.B. Wace
Principle Date(s): 1907-1967
Scope and Content: Letters from, to, and regarding Carl W. Blegen. Records are diverse in type, and exist in English, Greek, French, and German. Two letters – one written in Swedish and one written in Norwegian – also exist in translation. Correspondence of various types, including letters and postcards, exist along with three passports issued in 1933, 1947, and 1951. Other memorabilia includes Blegen’s personal camera with accompanying tripod and a copy of his Ph.D. dissertation on Korakou.
Access: Restricted. Please contact the archivist for information.
Finding-Aid: A document (PDF) with descriptions of each letter may be found here. A collection of the papers presented by Blegen to the Literary Club in Cincinnati may be found here. This PDF is courtesy the Archives and Rare Books Library, University of Cincinnati (Collection UA-83-15), and the Archives and Special Collections of the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. This document may be printed but editing/altering/publishing in any fashion is prohibited.
de Jong, Piet (1887-1967)
Accession Code: UC CLAS-PdJ
Principle Creator: Piet de Jong
Principle Date(s): 1928-1966
Scope and Content: Drawings and watercolors exist from the sites of: Goniá, Hagiorgitika, Hymettos, Kea, Nemea, Prosymna (Argive Heraion), Pylos, and Zygouries. William V. Cash, Dorothy Cox, Émile Gilliéron, and Leicester B. Holland are also listed as artists of certain items. Both pencil drawings and watercolors exist.
Access: Restricted. Please contact the archivist for information.
Finding-Aid: A document (PDF) with descriptions of each item may be found here.
Rawson, Marion (1899-1980)
Accession Code: UC CLAS-MR
Principle Creator: Marion Rawson
Principal Date(s): 1926, 1928-1929
Scope and Content: Four diaries from 1922-1923, 1926, 1928, and 1929 document Marion Rawson’s travels overseas. In addition, there are her two passports issued in 1926 and 1928.
Access: Restricted. Please contact the archivist for information.
Finding-Aid: For the current version of the finding-aid, click here.
PASP Archives
The contents of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory (PASP) which came to Cincinnati in 2024 are described below. All links to repositories currently still point to the Texas ScholarWorks Repository website. The history of PASP can be found here.
Archives of Emmett L. Bennett, Jr.
The PASP Archives houses the papers of Emmett L. Bennett, Jr., one of the world’s most distinguished and reputable Classics scholars and the founding father of the study of Mycenaean scripts. His systematic and meticulous analysis of Linear B was instrumental in its decipherment by British scholar Michael Ventris in 1952.
During the 2006-2007 academic year, M.S.I.S. candidate Christy Costlow of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information arranged, indexed, and rehoused the materials into archival enclosures.
The collection, consisting of 6,193 items, is comprised of the research material, publications, manuscripts, lecture notes, education and teaching material, correspondence, and photographic material created and compiled by Bennett during his professional career. The bulk of the material include items related to the study of Linear B and Bennett’s correspondence with other scholars and colleagues in the Classical Studies field.
Bennett was a passionate scholar whose extraordinary precision and attention to detail are well illustrated by the numerous grids, graphs, and statistical calculations he completed in his work on Linear B. His roles also included those of a mentor, encourager and collaborator, and as a reputable and greatly respected scholar in the field, Bennett received frequent correspondence and papers for review from colleagues and amateurs alike. Prior to and around the time of the decipherment of Linear B, Bennett collaborated closely with Michael Ventris (these letters are included within PASP’s Michael Ventris archival collection), and for years afterwards he remained close with those such as Carl Blegen, his former teacher, and John Chadwick, a frequent collaborator.
Bennett donated the materials to PASP under the custody of Prof. Palaima. Related materials are found in PASP’s collections of the papers of Michael Ventris and Alice E. Kober. Additionally, PASP houses the offprint collection of Emmett. L. Bennett, Jr., also given to Prof. Palaima who retains ownership.
In July 2017, Garrett Bruner digitized and processed over three hundred items from the Bennett collection for publication through TSW. The items are correspondence covering a range of Bennett’s closest collaborators like Carl Blegen, John Chadwick and Sir John Myres. The material be accessed at TSW by the URL below:
Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. Correspondence on Texas ScholarWorks (TSW)
Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. Papers Finding Aid
Bennett Offprint Collection
The Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. Offprint Collection of the Program of Aegean Scripts and Prehistory (2,500 items) is comprised of the research material, publications, manuscripts, correspondence, and photographic material created by many Mycenaean scholars and sent by them to Bennett in the course of his Editorship of the journal Nestor, which he founded in 1957. The collection consists of two groups: Bennett Offprint Collection, up to 1995; and Bennett Offprint Collection, 1995-2011. The bulk of the material includes items relating to the study of Mycenae and Linear B, and Bennett’s correspondence with other scholars and colleagues in the Classical Studies field.
The Offprint Collection was processed, arranged and described by archivist Sarah A. Buchanan between August 2013 to October 2015.
Michael Ventris and Alice Kober Archives
The PASP Archives include primary source materials of early researchers in Linear B such as Alice Kober and Michael Ventris.
The Ventris material consists mainly of letters that Mr. Ventris sent to Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. and Alice E. Kober, and photocopies of correspondence with Sir John Myres (courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford). A pilot project to digitize selected letters of Ventris is now underway in cooperation with the Digital Library Services Division-Digitization Center of the General Libraries. PASP thanks Mark McFarland, Chad Hutchens, Uri Kolodney, Aaron Choate, Maria Esteva, Sue Trombley, Stephie Nikoloudis and Kevin Pluta for their participation in this project. Funding has come from the Institute for Aegean Prehistory and the Dickson Centennial Professorship.
The Ventris materials have long been stored in acid-free conditions and the paper on which most of the letters were written, in Ventris’ elegant architectural hand, was of good quality and the ink is still strong.
During academic year 2003-2004, the Kober materials were professionally indexed and archived, and stored in better conditions for preservation, by Sue Trombley of the School of Information here at UT Austin. The major part of the Kober collection consists of ca. 186,000 ‘cigarette-carton’ note cards, each hand cut from notebook and other kinds of paper. Ms. Kober used different inks as she edited the dense notes on each card. Some of the fountain pen ink is now badly fading. It is in great need of digitizing, since scholarly interest in Ms. Kober’s work has increased following the anniversary of the decipherment of Linear B in 2002 and the inevitable comparison of Ms. Kober’s contribution to it and that of Rosalind Franklin to the discovery of DNA.
PASP is also fortunate to keep photocopies of Ms. Kober’s correspondence with Sir John Myres (courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford), photocopies of the correspondence of Arne Furumark with Ventris (courtesy of the University of Uppsala), and Ms. Kober’s offprints and unpublished scholarly papers and drafts. Ms. Kober gave this material to Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. in the months preceding her death and instructed her brother to give the remaining materials to Prof. Bennett. Professor Bennett gave these materials to Prof. Palaima who retains ownership of them.
PASP also houses the offprint collection of Emmett. L. Bennett, Jr., likewise given to Prof. Palaima who retains ownership, as well as valuable works of scholarship with annotations by such figures as the late Leonard R. Palmer, purchased by Prof. Palaima.
Michael Ventris Papers Finding Aid
Michael Ventris Digitized Holdings at Texas ScholarWorks
Alice E. Kober Papers Finding Aid
Alice Kober Digitized Holdings at Texas ScholarWorks
Elizabeth Wayland Barber Collection
The Elizabeth Wayland Barber collection consists of scholarly materials related to Linear A, including research data from her dissertation and college thesis. The collection includes manuscripts, bound theses, and scholarly publications (monograph and offprints).
Dr. Barber joined the faculty of Occidental College in 1969 where she taught such subjects as basic linguistic structure, language and the brain, historical and archaeological linguistics, Neolithic and Bronze Age Old World archaeology, ancient Greek, and first-year writing. She was made professor emerita in 2007. Barber is the author of several books. These include Archaeological Decipherment: A Handbook(1974), Prehistoric Textiles: The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages with Special Reference to the Aegean (1992), Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years; Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times (1995), The Mummies of Ürümchi (2000), When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth (2006, coauthor with Paul T. Barber) and The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance (2013).
At the time of donation of her Linear A archive to PASP (in 2013, in part from reading Margalit Fox’s book on Alice Kober), Dr. Barber lived in Pasadena, Calif. Dr. Barber enclosed several copies of her articles on textiles for distribution to Lydia G. Neuman, then a graduate student in the M.S. Textile and Apparel Technology program at UT; the archivist kept a copy for this collection.
The second accrual of this collection was donated by Barber to PASP in March 2014. It consists of the two computer tapes described above, a tape by Murray Fowler and Wolfe of the Etruscan alphabet, and eight books from Barber’s personal Mycenaean Library. Of note, Fowler and Wolfe’s Materials for the study of the Etruscan Language (v.I-II, 1965) detail the creation of the computer tapes.
The Barber Collection was processed by archivist Sarah A. Buchanan between September 2013 to April 2014.
Jeremiah “Jerry” Egbe Ifie Collection
The materials of Jeremiah “Jerry” Egbe Ifie represent his research as a professor of classics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The collection includes scholarly publications (offprints), correspondence, course materials, cassette tapes, and monographs.
Jeremiah “Jerry” Egbe Ifie (April 22, 1942 – December 16, 2004) was a Classical scholar, poet, and playwright who collected myths from Izon land in Nigeria and researched the culture, literature, and languages of the Nigerian people. As Senior Lecturer (since 1982) at the University of Ibadan, Department of Classics, Ifie taught the history and myths of the Izon and the Urhobo peoples as well as Greek and Roman Historiography, Drama, and Philosophy. In 1996 and 1997, Ifie was a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Classics (then chaired by Dr. Thomas G. Palaima, who extended him the invitation), teaching Classical and African Mythology and Beginners Latin.
An ancient historian by training, Dr. Ifie studied the culture, literature, and languages of his people, the Izon and Urhobo, and published several articles on Romano-African history. He was known as a specialist in the Roman Empire in North Africa, Classical and African mythology, the anthropology of native African cultures, and Izon poetry, literature, myth, and religion. His A Historical Background to the New Testamentdiscusses Greco-Roman societies between 320 B.C. to about 140 A.D. Dr. Ifie’s work as a playwright includes the original works The Paradise of the Mother (1988), and the three-part Ayabare / Obaro / Enimuaketa, Don’t Kill My Mother (1992, 92, 94), which were staged at the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan. As Egbe Ifie, he was a published poet, creating several collections of poems and epigrams in Izon and English.
The Ifie collection was processed in June of 2013 by archivist Sarah A. Buchanan.
Additions to this collection were made in August 2017 to include two of Dr. Ifie’s published works, A Garden of Dreams and Don’t Kill My Mother (Part II).
William C. Brice Papers
The William C. Brice Papers of scholarly materials relates to Linear A and Brice’s editorship of the journal Kadmos. The collection includes Minoan research manuscripts and notes, scholarly publications (monographs and offprints), photographs, and correspondence. Correspondence includes a letter from Michael Ventris to Brice discussing Scripta Minoa III .
William Charles Brice (July 3, 1921-July 24, 2007) was a linguist, archaeologist, ethnographer, and geographer, as well as a polymath. In 1939, he won an open scholarship in geography at Jesus College, University of Oxford and enrolled just as war broke out. In his second year there in 1941, having completed officer training, he was called to duty as a full-time officer trainee in Dunbar.
William matriculated to Oxford for the January 1946 term and received a First Class B.A. and M.A. in Geography that June. William’s desire to return to the Far East was encouraged by his Oxford ethnology teacher, (Sir) John Myres, and William was soon accepted by Professor John Garstang (Liverpool University) to join archaeological excavations in eastern Turkey, for a year during 1946-47. William excavated at the Neolithic site of Yumuk Tepe (Mersin), and at the Roman frontier site of Antioch with Sir Leonard Woolley in the spring. William developed a love of travel, and in addition to his impressive sketching abilities, he was a fluent speaker of Turkish, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic, French, and Hindustani.
From 1955 to his retirement in 1982, William was an esteemed professor in Middle Eastern Geography at Manchester University. Among his publications in this area were South-West Asia (1967), The Environmental History of the Near and Middle East Since the Last Ice Age (1978, as editor), and An Historical Atlas of Islam (1981). William was known as a soft-spoken gentleman among his colleagues; influenced by a Persian friend, William refrained from drinking and swearing throughout his life. William also gave lectures and advice within the Muslim community, and was an avid swimmer, cyclist, Morris dancer, musician (banjo and piano accordion), and Punch and Judy puppeteer. William was a generous scholar, and he oversaw the posthumous publication, in 1980, of Terence Mitford’s The Nymphaeum of Kafizin. Owing to his work on linear Aegean scripts, in 1962 William was asked to join the founding editorial board of Kadmos, a new journal dedicated to study of the earliest inscriptions from Greece and the Aegean. William was subsequently asked to edit the journal in 1968; he would hold that post for 24 years, writing not only many short announcements of epigraphical discoveries but also articles on Linear A and Cretan Hieroglyphic.
Research notes, manuscripts, drawings, publications, glass slides, negatives, and photographs are included in the 1615+ items that comprise the William C. Brice Collection (1908-2006) of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory. The collection material was processed by archivist Sarah A. Buchanan in June 2014.
In October 2017, the correspondence of the William C. Brice collection was digitized for access at Texas Scholarworks. Many items of this archival correspondence document the efforts in publishing Scripta Minoa III after the death of Sir John Myres. The volume was never published.
Many notable correspondents make up this collection material. Included are letters exchanged between Brice and archaeologists like Sinclair Hood, Leonard Woolley, historian Mortimer Wheeler, Sir John Myres, Emmett Bennett, Michael Ventris, and John Chadwick.
The Brice correspondence has been made accessible with all the standards of our material online at the University of Texas Scholarworks (TSW).
William Brice Papers Finding Aid
William Brice Papers Digitized Items at Texas ScholarWorks
Nikos Samartzidis Collection
PASP is pleased to announce the acquisition of the collection of Linear B paintings by artist Nikolaos Samartzidis. These paintings exhibit the original poetry of Samartzidis from Greek to Linear B and also the adapted translations of modern poets like Elytis, Papadiamantis, Cavafy and ancients like Homer. They emulate the recovery of Linear B tablets, representing fractures, joins, and script.
Samartzidis was born in northern Greece and started painting when he was twelve years old. He has spent a lifetime in the study of painting and poetry. Since 1990, he has lived in Ruesselsheim am Main in Germany. His paintings have been exhibited in Crete and Germany.
As of October 2017, this collection is being processed for long term preservation and access by PASP. A selection of paintings will be uploaded to TSW by November 2017. We then plan to curate the TSW collection objects online using the platform Scalar. There, high-resolution photographs of all of PASP’s Samartzidis collection will be presented with translations of each work. This work is being prepared to be completed by the Spring of 2018.
CIPEM 2000 Papers Collection
The proceedings from the CIPEM 2000 conference have been archived at PASP. The finding aid to this material can be located at the URL below.
The CIPEM 2000 papers are a collection of scholarly materials relating to Mycenological studies covering subjects like Linear A, B, and Cypro-Minoan script and culture. The papers were presented at the 11th International Mycenological Colloquium at the University of Texas in 2000 by the leading scholars in the field. The Papers collection consists of articles, article proofs, programs, correspondence, 3.5” floppy disks and compact disks.
It also contains 8 cassette tapes of recorded Question and Answer sessions after each participant’s presentation. These cassette tapes have been digitized and are available on only request. They are accessible in MP3 format and a program with time-stamps has been created for navigating these files. The recordings omit the presentation of papers and focus on the Q&A which followed. Scholars like Emmett Bennett, Anna Morpurgo-Davies, Yves Duhoux, Jose Melena, C. J. Ruijgh, and Tom Palaima can be heard voicing their thoughts on the presentations, offering criticisms, and taking questions from the very brightest of the Mycenological community.
This collection was processed and digitized in August 2017 by Garrett Bruner.
Cynthia W. Shelmerdine Collection
The Cynthia Shelmerdine collection includes publications and manuscripts, public lectures and colloquium papers, research, course material, offprints, correspondence, and ephemera. The collection material predates her time in the Classics Department at the University of Texas (1966) and extends to the time she left the University in 2008. The collection is separated into fifteen boxes, with the Offprints series being the largest series (6 boxes). These series remain in the original arrangement and scope as stored by Cynthia Shelmerdine for her professional records.
The first group of the collection consists of Shelmerdine’s Academic Publications series (Box 1– 3). This group includes academic publications like articles, chapters, and commentary pieces. The Publicly Delivered Works series (Box 4 – 5) contains the publicly delivered lectures, seminars, workshops, and similar materials by Cynthia Shelmerdine where she was invited as a speaker at conferences, international congresses, colloquiums, annual meetings, or specific events.
Cynthia Shelmerdine (1949 – present) was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts and developed a passion for Greek early in life. She was introduced to Emily and Cornelius Vermeule in her youth and regarded them both as neighbors and mentors. In 2002, Shelmerdine began teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. Her course material focused on several aspects of ancient Greece, with particular emphasis on language and archaeology. During her time at the University of Texas, Shelmerdine served as department chair twice, and became a Robert M. Armstrong Centennial Professor of Classics and gained emerita status by the time of her retirement from the university in 2008. The bulk of this collection consists of materials created by Shelmerdine’s work during this period.
Shelmerdine’s research is diverse and includes Mycenean pottery, politics and economics, literacy, and society where she focuses on women’s roles and the perfume industry. She has written numerous books and chapters or chapter contributions, as well as articles and encyclopedic entries. Additionally, Shelmerdine has delivered numerous presentations and lectures, and also has authored many book and film reviews.
This collection was processed by PASP Archives assistant Nicole N. Inskeep from June to December 2021.