An American Guardian of Greek Heritage

Should the media and the public have lofty expectations of a major excavation? Or is it necessary to have a certain amount of patience?

“When you locate an important ancient monument, the urge to connect it with some important historical figure or event is almost irresistible. It’s natural to think such a connection is possible when it comes to something extraordinary and special. It’s not a mistake. But we must also be ready to adapt our thinking if data emerges that suggest the opposite. This is the hard part. You know, we’re committed to our ideas and it’s hard to move away from them if others come up. So, having expectations is, I think, a good thing. That’s why we devote so much energy and so many resources to understanding the past. And I think the public has a right to know what’s going on. Archaeology is an evolving science and ideas develop and change as evidence emerges. That should be exciting, not disappointing.”

What first sparked your interest in archaeology and ancient Greece?

“I can’t even remember when it started. I don’t know. That’s just how it’s always been. I had a wonderful mother who took me to museums. We were living outside of New York City, going in to visit the Metropolitan Museum; I felt like I was in heaven, and then I started visiting on my own. My mother had worked with a professor at Smith College, Phyllis Williams Lehmann, whom she thought I would also appreciate. So, that’s how it happened. I studied at Smith, as had my mother and my sister, and I collaborated with Williams Lehmann. She worked with her husband, the archaeologist Karl Lehmann, who was the director of the Samothrace excavations. She worked on the island every year, and it was so exciting to hear about her discoveries and later to see her at work. I felt it was a perfect life. Later, I learned a lot from Jim McCredie, who also served as director of the Samothrace excavations for fifty years.”

How do you find life in Greece in the 21st century?

“I think it’s great. We love it here – my husband is here, too. Our children also came for a year (2006-2007) and felt very much at home. Greece seems like a place with a lot of energy right now. I find it very special to walk around Athens and see how many people are strolling around. It’s a great outdoor culture. You see people out and about. It also applies to American city centers, but in some of the suburbs you don’t see a lot of people on the street. It’s not just Athens – with our students we go all over Greece, and we find that every place (it could be Arta, Preveza, Alexandroupolis, or Patras) is full of life. Greece also has great food and lots of beautiful nature. And while I’m not an economist, I think the country has integrated into the world economy, maintaining a rising and increasingly important position. I think 21st-century Greece is a place where things happen.”

In what ways has life as an archaeologist improved since you started? Has technology made the biggest difference?

“The most significant changes since my first dig have been hot water and air conditioning. Once upon a time, you know, these were unimaginable luxuries. In fact, even staying in a room was considered pretty fancy, compared to a tent. In terms of technology, computers and the internet have transformed archaeology. In the past, you’d discover something, record it, photograph it, and then go to the library to study it. Now, you can discover it in the morning and the same evening study electronic databases or consult with a particular colleague. I remember the transformative moment; shortly after we got internet in Samothrace, we found a vase whose style we hadn’t seen before on the island. We photographed it and sent off an email to Susan Rotroff (a leading American archaeologist who specializes in ancient Greek pottery), who answered immediately. It was a game-changer: one we take for granted today.”

The other thing that has changed, Wescoat says, is that excavations now proceed more slowly, because the quantity of data being collected is vast in comparison to before. In addition to the sites, the architecture and the artifacts, archaeologists look for and analyze traces of foodstuffs and seeds, as well as animal bones and human remains. As part of the American School’s project at the ancient cemetery of Faliro, the conservation treatment of approximately 1,100 skeletons excavated there has just been completed, so bioarchaeologists can begin to study ancient living conditions. Soil and other geological materials are now important subjects of investigation, as they can tell the story of a place. Pentelic marble is easily recognized by eye, but some marble materials require laboratory analysis to determine their quarry of origin. Today, with the help of a large toolbox of scientific techniques, archaeologists are able to better understand how marbles and ceramics circulated around the ancient Mediterranean.

Recently, changes have also been taking place in museums, as some are now choosing to face questions regarding the origins of objects held in their collections. In January, 2024, the Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where Wescoat had previously held positions of responsibility, returned three ancient artifacts to Greece that had been illegally exported from the country and sold by antiquities dealers before finally ending up at the American institution. “We’re in a new chapter, one that emphasizes collaboration and understanding,” says Wescoat. The return of these Greek antiquities was made possible as part of an agreement between Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Emory University, which signals a new era in cultural and scientific cooperation and offers both parties the sense that a just resolution has been reached.

Considerations such as these helped shape the last question for the professor:

Of the various aspects of the issue of the Parthenon Marbles, what do you consider to be the greatest difficulty?

“Of course, that Greece and the British Museum cannot agree. I don’t have anything more to add that hasn’t already been said, but I think eventually a solution will be found. I cannot predict when and how. But I think it’s in everyone’s best interest.”