Duncan Mackenzie (1861 – 1934). Scottish archaeologist, whose work focused on one of the more spectacular 20th century archaeological finds, Crete's palace of Knossos, the proven centre of Minoan civilisation.
He was born in the small, Gaelic-speaking village of Aultgowrie, in the highlands of eastern Scotland, the fourth of nine children of Alexander and his wife, Margaret Kennedy MacKenzie.
He studied philosophy at the University of Edinburgh; and received his PhD from Vienna in classical archaeology.
Appointed field supervisor of the excavation of Phylakopi by the British School at Athens, he worked closely with a team of professional archaeologists including Arthur Evans and David George Hogarth. After a few years they realised that Phylakopi was not going to yield that information. The evidence pointed toward Crete. Purchasing the land at Knossos, Evans began excavation, sending for the third member of the team, MacKenzie, who took up his old position as supervisor of excavation. The two would work together for the next thirty years, long after the excavation was complete (1905). MacKenzie remained as curator of the site, taking up residence in the new Villa Ariadne constructed as headquarters in 1906 on the hill above the site.
According to Evans, Mackenzie came to suffer from severe alcoholism and could not only no longer function as curator, but was fast declining into a demented state. Evans placed him in an institution, where he died not long after.
- "Mackenzie was a Scot with an inaudible Highland voice, a brush of red hair, an uncertain temper, a great command of languages, and great experience in keeping the records of an excavation." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Mackenzie
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| Mackenzie is the man on the right, kneeling on the trench. |
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