. MEDFORD MAIL TR1BUME, ME-FOBO, OBEGOH SUNDAY, MAY SS, lf3 y
Controversy Still Prevails About Archaeologist s Discoveries
By ROBERT MUSEL
United Pros Inttmational
London-iUPt-When Sir Ar
thur Evans died at the age
of 90 in 1941 he bore one ol
the most honored names In
archaeology.
Scientists the world over de
pended on his dramatic dis
coveries on the island of
Crete for dating events in Eu
rope before recorded history.
Was this famous scholar,
revered by generations of
archaeologist, guilty of wish
ful thinking?
Was his system of classifica
tion "pure invention?"
For nearly three years these
questions have been debated
by his defenders and his de
tractors as the result of a
sensational claim by Prof.
Leonard Palmer of Oxford
that "many of Evans' deduc
tions were false and at times
he misrepresented his find
ings." Still Gathtr Evidence
Both sides are still gather
ing evidence that will ulti
mately decide whether Evans
deserves his niche as one of
the immortals of archaeology.
After the first impact of
Palmer's charges some sup
port gathered around the the
ory that if Evans was wrong
he was honestly wrong.
Now Palmer is about to
publish a book, "The Find
Plaes of the Knossos Tablets"
(Oxford University Press)
which is bound to inflame the
controversy.
"In this book I produce evi
dence to show that thp dis
crepancies between Evans
published statements and his
more serious than I expected
at first," Palmer told United
Press Internationa!.
"His whole system is. In
I fact, suspect."
Sets Off Debat
Palmer set off the world
wide debate after seven years
of study of Evans' reports
from his excavations at Knos-
own records are deeper and sos in Crete which he regard-
12
1-
if
THRONE OF MINOS When Sir Arthur
Evans died at the age of 90 in 1941 he bore
one of the most honored names in archae
ology. Scientists throughout the world de
pended on his dramatic discoveries on the
island of Crete for dating events in Europe
before recorded history. This UPI picture
shows the Thome ol Minos at Knossos on
Crete. (UPI)
cd as the most ancient center
of civilired life in Greece.
The Evans findings had
been virtually unchallenged
for 60 years.
Evans drew a picture of
a Crete more advanced than
the Greek mainland, an island
empire ruled by a Cretan
king, the legandary Minos. He
suggested that Cretan civiliza-
1400 B.C. when the palace was
attacked and occupied by
squatters.
Some 200 years latef-about
1200 B.C. according to his
time-scale-the Greek main
land civilization came Into its
own.
Flourished ! Saira Tin-,
But Palmer believes the
evidence is clear that the
Hon reached its end about
Cretan and Greek cultures
flourished at the same 4ime.
Contrary to the disaster
which Evans alleged overtook
Crete it was for at least Uvo
centuries thereafter an impor
tant center of exports and
produced its greatest works of
art at a time when Evans
would have it that its civiliza
tion had been overthrown.
Palmer contends.
"This disrupts all present
thinking about the orifiin and
development of Greek civiliza
tion and hence our own," he i Evans" assistant in Crete, Dun
said "The whole dating of the ca1 jjacKenzie. who, accord-
prehistory of Europe hinges
on Knossos.
Heavy Conierattacki
Despite heavy counterat
tacks from Evans' defenders.
Palmer holds his ground that
the archaeologist "misrepre
sented many facts of vital sig
nificance and published ac
counts of his findinss which
cannot be reconciled with the
log book of his own excava
tions." This log book was kept by
ing to Palmer, protested some
of his leader conclusions,
though not public!;'.
Among those who have
come to Evans' defense was
Prof. D, F, 11. Gray ot Ox
ford who stressed that writ
ten tablets found in Crete by
Evans were not deciuiared
until 1 1 years after his dtaih.
Thus he never knew that whst
he believed to be an unknown
Cretan isnguage-the so-called
Presentation of Awards in Contest Slated Monday
Awards will be presented
winners in the "Highway
Safety and Courtesy" poster
contest Monday afternoon In
the Medtord High school gym
nasium with Roland G, Beach,
rep:csenting Talisman lodge.
Knights of Pythias, making
the presentations.
The posters have been on
display in the high school
gymnasium and, following the
awarding of the prizes, will
be given to Capt. Clyde Ficht
ner of the Medford police
for use in the safety program
o instruction and driver edu
cation in schools of this area.
Contestants in the Medford
area are students of Miss
Kathy Fonken, art instructor
at Medford High school.
Knights of Pythias an
nounced the winners in state
high school contests last wek.
Wins Fourth Plan
Linda Mullin, daughter of
Mr. ana Mrs. Ted Mullen, Tal
ent, a student at Phoenix
High school, won fourth place
in the 18th anual publlespeak
ing contest held in Portland.
She had qualified for partici
pation by winning first place
in the Jackson - Josephine
county contest in Medford.
Miss Mullin is a student of
Mrs. Margaret Hadley, speech
nstrucior in the Phoenix High
school,
Larry Seavis, son of Mr.
and Mi's. Vern Reavis, 211
Summit ave., Medford, won
first place in the state poster
contest sponsored by the
Knights of Pythias lodges.
Subscribers
Ts Tcpert Improper ?r sen
delivery et the Matl Tnbafie in
Medford, phone 772-fiHl; Ash
land csn si 416 Brirtee si, or
phone YrekK. choree
Victory 2-281i before S:4S rm.
diy and Q 30 m, Sandav.
If TCgir delivery sfTfve
shorUy sfier yotl cult please
notify effice, thui eliminating
apectal messenger serviea.
internationally. Reavis had
won first place in the Jack
son county "Highway Safety
and Courtesy" poster contest
before entering at the stale
level. "Watch the Road" was
the title of his entry.
Second place went to Arne
Harrang, 1S24 Jasper st Med
ford: and third to Fred Beyer,
student at Hedrick Junion
High school.
Merchandise Award
Judy Badley, ninth grade.
Rogue River High school, won
a merchandise award for best
poster in black and white.
The judges awarding the
ribbons were Captain Ficht
ncr, George L. Lucas, Med
ford city police department.
and Gordon Johnson, whs is
majoring in criminology at
the University of Oregon,
Merchants contributing to
the prizes were Elk City Mar
ket, Littreit Parts, General
Bearing company, Wliham
Parts and Equipment, and
Sam Jennings company.
"Linear B" - was, in fact, sa
early form of Greek.
Ha Could Net H- Knows
gested In a published papet
that Evans fysiem be entire
ly abandoned,
"The etiestian said Jalm-
Kor could he have known cr, "Is whether Evans report
that the tablets indicated
Crete was thriving at a time
when he thought it was in
ruins,
"The importance of hb dis
coveries cannot be df let ted,"
Gray said, "by changing the
interpretation of part of the
evidence,
Palmer commented thai
Prof, Doro Levi, head of the
Italian School of Archaeology
in Attvens, had recently sug-
cd his findings fully and
curately. My book will stovtf
that his own records contra
diet what he said puhllcJy," -
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