Monsignor's Archaeology Books on Display

August 19, 2005

Although ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea and in the Middle East date back more than 5,000 years, archaeology as an academic discipline is only a little over a century old. Prior to the late nineteenth century, ancient sites were often exploited by treasure-hunters, destroyed by armies, or defaced by religious zealots, rather than excavated by scholars with controlled methods and preservation in mind.

Monsignor George Wolz, an educator, administrator, and pastor in the Catholic community of Columbus for nearly five decades, collected books that were published by pioneers of modern archaeology during the infancy of the field. Over the course of his lifetime from 1909 to 1983, Monsignor Wolz collected hundreds of books relating to classical archaeology, Egyptology, and Biblical studies. He studied in Rome from 1934 to 1937, where he acquired many of the books that are included in this display.

Of particular interest is a book titled Troy and its Remains, by Heinrich Schleimann, a retired German-American businessman. Published in London in 1875, this book describes Schleimann's excavation in 1870 of what some believe was the legendary city of Troy, the location of the epic war between the Greeks and Trojans depicted in Homer's Iliad. Although Schleimann was an amateur, his passion and discovery paved the way to the development of the discipline.

Engraved illustration from Schliemann's book representing some of the excavations at Troy.

Also spotlighted in the display is a two volume set titled, The Tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen, by archaeologist Howard Carter. These books document the famous discovery in 1922 of the previously undisturbed tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen, and were published shortly after the monumental find.

After he passed away, Monsignor Wolz's collections were shared between the libraries of Ohio Dominican, the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, and Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut. Some of the books in the Wolz donation are rare and are housed in Special Collections - such as the items included in this exhibition - but many circulate at part of the main collection. Monsignor Wolz's name is on the inside cover of every book he owned.

This exhibition of Monsignor Wolz' special archaeology books will be open throughout Fall semester, 2005 in the display cases at the foot of the stairs on the bottom floor in Spangler.