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Interviews with Archaeologists
In this fascinating interview, Keith Schoville’s questions are met with passionate, philosophical answers. Anati expounds on his belief that there is no such thing as “pre-historical,” that wherever man left evidence of his presence, it is possible to reconstruct history. He states that archaeology and history are key to understanding human motivations. When asked if archaeology is necessary, he answers, “If this is unnecessary, than what is necessary? To me a deep knowledge of history, a deep awareness of our past through a knowledge of archaeology is vital for culture, what kind of culture can we have if we don’t know our roots?” Anati does not practice religion because he considers it a research field, and contends that practicing a religion would compromise his scholarly objectivity.
Anson Rainey (1930-2011), was a professor of Ancient Near Eastern Culture and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University. Among his many contributions to the field, of particular interest is his study of the Amarna tablets.
In this interview, recorded by Keith Schoville on December 29, 1977, Rainey describes his early life and education, reflects on his career as an educator, and shares his opinions about other scholars. Schoville explained that with this interviewing project, he hoped to find out what drew archaeologists to their chosen career, so that students might be able to relate to them.
Anson Rainey was born in Dallas, Texas in 1930. He was an only child. His father died when he was six years old, and he was raised by his maternal grandparents. Rainey recalled that his grandfather, who worked for the Post Office, encouraged him to take a lively, intellectual interested in what was going on in the world, and they listened intently to the news together during World War II.
The linguist did not remember much from his elementary education, except for his interest in diagramming sentences and geography. Throughout middle school, Rainey sold newspapers, and made a point of examining the maps and articles to stay up to date on global news. Rainey attended the Brown Military Academy high school with the intent of pursuing a military career. He graduated at sixteen in 1946.
He attended John Brown University, but used his financial aid funds to pay for flying lessons, eventually becoming a qualified flight instructor. He then took a job as a social worker in the Mojave Desert. He enjoyed “helping people acquire new skills and organized their lives.”
Rainey returned to academia and attended the California Baptist Seminary, where he began the Old Testament studies that eventually lead to his interest in archaeology. He completed his BA in Ancient History at UCLA, then pursued graduate studies at Brandeis. During his years as a professor, he particularly enjoyed teaching hands-on excavation technique.
David Ussishkin is an Israeli archaeologist. In 2005, he retired from his position as a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University. He has directed and co-directed several excavations, including Lachish, Mediddo, and Jezreel.
In this interview, recorded November 14, 1978, Keith Schoville asks Ussishkin about his early life, and what inspired him to pursue archaeology.
Ussishkin was born as an only child in Jerusalem in 1935. His grandfather was a well-known Russian Zionist leader Menachem Ussishkin. His grandfather became an important figure in the Jewish community after establishing himself in Israel. Though his grandfather died when he was six, Ussishkin feels his grandfather influenced him through his strong sense of religion, tradition, and conservatism.
Ussishkin’s father was a lawyer with an interest in history. Ussishkin recalls that, which his father had no interest in the technical aspects of archaeology, they often took walks through Jerusalem discussing the city’s long history.
Ussishkin became increasingly interested in archaeology while serving in the military, and after his service he was given the choice to pursue law or archaeology. He chose archaeology because he felt it would entail less desk work. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and had his first extensive field experiences at Beersheba and Kolteppe in Turkey.