The Pergamon Altar was unearthed from its marble burial site in Anatolia through the sustained intervention of Carl Humann, an engineer who spent decades navigating Ottoman bureaucracy. Far from the traditional university-trained scholar, he used his professional road-surveying experience to identify and secure one of the most significant Hellenistic archaeological finds of the nineteenth century.
Early Career and Relocation
Born in 1839 in Steele, Humann trained at the Burggymnasium Essen and later attended the Bauakademie in Berlin between 1860 and 1861. His early career involved railroad engineering, specifically on the Bergisch-Märkische Railway. After contracting tuberculosis, he moved to the Ottoman Empire seeking a milder climate. Settling in Istanbul, he worked on various infrastructure projects and began conducting topographical surveys, including mapping Palestine in 1864 under imperial orders.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Discovery of Pergamon
During his road construction supervisory duties in the winter of 1864-1865, Humann first visited the ruins of Pergamon. He recognized the historical value of the partially unearthed site and intervened to prevent further destruction of the marble remains. Following years of negotiation and the acquisition of official permits, he began formal excavations in September 1878 with financial support from Alexander Conze and the Berlin Sculpture Museum. This work revealed significant portions of the Great Altar frieze and numerous sculptures, which were subsequently transported to Berlin via German Navy vessels.
Institutional Roles and Later Expeditions
In 1884, Humann became a department director at the Royal Museum in Berlin, though he maintained his residence in İzmir to protect Prussian archaeological interests. His later career included excavations at Sam'al, Hierapolis, Tralles, Magnesia on the Maeander, Priene, and Ephesus. He was a member of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences and the German Archaeological Institute, and he received honorary citizenship in 1890. He died in 1896 in İzmir and was eventually reinterred at Pergamon.
Fast facts
- Born: 1839, Steele
- Died: 1896, İzmir
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Prussia
- Occupations: Architect, engineer, archaeologist, geographer
- Major find: Pergamon Altar
- Education: Bauakademie (1860-1861)
- Nickname: Viceroy of Asia Minor
- Burial site: Pergamon
Questions readers ask
Did Carl Humann receive formal archaeological training?
No, he was a self-taught archaeologist with a background in engineering and architecture, reflecting the pioneering nature of nineteenth-century field work.
Where is Carl Humann buried?
After his death in 1896 in İzmir, he was initially buried in a local Catholic cemetery; his remains were later reinterred at the Pergamon site in 1967.
