Early archaeological projects associated with Thomas Whittemore, approximately 1910–1939
This collection contains papers, photographs, and drawings dating from the 1910s through the early 1930s that relate to excavation projects conducted in Egypt and Bulgaria. The materials include excavation reports, fieldwork and research notes, transcriptions from publications, translations of texts, citations, and correspondence, as well as rubbings, drawings, watercolor paintings, and photographs. While a portion of the collection reflects original observations made in the field, the majority of the archival materials consist of the research materials and pre-publication drafts created by Thomas Whittemore and his affiliates at the Byzantine Institute. Documents from the Egypt series record excavation projects that were conducted by the Egypt Exploration Society (formerly, the Egypt Exploration Fund) at Abydos and Amarna in the 1910s and 1920s. This series consists of manuscripts and draft reports by various authors, transcriptions from scholarly publications, notes, and correspondence, as well as materials related to Whittemore's interest in the Early Christian drawings and graffiti found at Abydos. Papers from the Bulgaria series document excavation projects and studies of art and architecture undertaken in Bulgaria during the early to mid-1920s. The items primarily highlight the architecture and decoration of the Basilica at Messemvria, the Red Church (Tchervena Tcherkva) at Perus̆tica, and the Basilica at Bĕlovo. These papers document fieldwork projects conducted by Ivan Velkov (or Velkoff) of the National Museum in Sofia and Sergĕj Pokrovskij of the Archaeological Institute of Bulgaria, with the financial support of both Thomas Whittemore and the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The collection is divided into 4 series based on geographic site and medium: 1. Egypt; 2. Bulgaria; 3. Photographs; and 4. Oversize Rubbings and Drawings.
Access and Rights
Access to the collection is by appointment only. Schedule an appointment.
Dumbarton Oaks does not hold any of the rights to materials in this collection. Materials are available for study purposes. Request images.
Preferred citation: Early archaeological projects associated with Thomas Whittemore, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, DC.
