Adolf Schulten (27 May 1870 – 19 March 1960) was a German
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
and
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
.
Schulten was born in
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.
History
The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "''elverfelde''" was in a docu ...
,
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...
, and received a doctorate in geology from the
University of Bonn
The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...
in 1892. He studied in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
with support from the Institute of Archaeology. After obtaining the chair of ancient history at the
University of Erlangen
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, he continued his work in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
with great dedication and to this day is considered a key influence upon
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
study in Spain.
Schulten led the 1905-12 excavations of the
Celtiberian city of
Numantia
Numantia ( es, Numancia) is an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the current municipality of Garray (Soria), Spain.
Numantia is famous for its role in the Celtiberian Wars. In 15 ...
and the Roman camps nearby and in 1924 searched without success for the location of
Tartessos
Tartessos ( es, Tarteso) is, as defined by archaeological discoveries, a historical civilization settled in the region of Southern Spain characterized by its mixture of local Paleohispanic and Phoenician traits. It had a proper writing system ...
. Starting in 1948 he worked on the ruins of
Tarraco
Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). It was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior during the period of the Roman Republic ...
and in the localities of
Mainake,
Munda and
Segeda
Segeda is an ancient settlement, between today's Belmonte de Gracián and Mara in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. Originally it was a Celtiberian town, whose inhabitants, the Belli, gave it the name ''Sekeida'' or ''Sekeiza''.
According ...
.
In recognition of his work, Schulten received a doctorate honoris causa from the
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...
and the Grand Cross of the
Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
The Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise ( es, Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio) is a Spanish civil order established in 1939, recognising activities in the fields of education, science, culture, higher education and research.
The order was create ...
, from the Spanish state in 1940. He was a member of the Institutes of Archaeology and History at the
Patria de Módena and was a lead writer for the
Austrian Institute of Archaeology and the
Academy of the History of Madrid.
His works feature Numantia, in ''Die Keltiberer und ihre Kriege mit Rom'' (1914); ''Tartessos'' (1924);
Viriato; ''Sertorius''; ''L'amour, l'amour est la véritable clef de l'Histoire''; ''Los cántabros y astures y su guerra con Roma'' (1943) is Schulten's most important
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
on his excavations.
External links
*
Adolf Schulten. Biografías y Vidas
(Historiography of Tartessos in the 20th Century) with photograph
1870 births
1960 deaths
People from Elberfeld
People from the Rhine Province
Archaeologists from North Rhine-Westphalia
20th-century German historians
University of Bonn alumni
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg faculty
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
German male non-fiction writers
Writers from Wuppertal
{{Germany-historian-stub