Ashes of archaeology pioneer scattered over ancient tumulus in Antalya

The ashes of Professor Machteld Johanna Mellink, widely known as the “mother of Anatolian archaeology,” have been scattered over the 2,500-year-old Kızılbel Tumulus in Antalya’s Elmalı district, in accordance with her final wish.

Mellink, who devoted six decades to Anatolian archaeology — 40 of them in Elmalı — led extensive excavations that reshaped scholarly understanding of the region’s ancient past.

Born in the Netherlands in 1917, she moved to the United States in 1946 for further studies and first encountered Anatolian archaeology during excavations at Gözlükule in Tarsus in 1947.

In 1963, she arrived in Elmalı for her own fieldwork at Karataş-Semayük, marking the beginning of a lifelong bond with the district she would later call her second home.

His discoveries include the Karaburun Tumulus, dated to 475 BCE and regarded as one of the clearest archaeological indicators of Persian influence in the region, and the Kızılbel Tumulus, dated to 525 BCE, famed for its rare painted wall decorations — exceptional survivals of an artistic tradition that has widely otherwise vanished.

Both burial mounds are considered among Anatolia’s best-preserved painted tomb chambers and hold a distinguished place in archaeological literature.

Beyond excavation, Mellink fostered deep ties with the local community. She advocated for the establishment of the Elmalı Museum to display artifacts unearthed in the district and contributed to social initiatives, including efforts toward the construction of a local hospital.

Over the decades, she formed close bonds with the Aytulum family, whom she described as her “own family.”

After her death in the United States in 2006 at the age of 89, her relatives honored her request to be laid to rest in Elmalı by sending her ashes to Türkiye. The ashes were scattered at Kızılbel Tumulus by sadık Aytulum, fulfilling her testament.

In a further tribute, Elmalı Municipality has named a street after Mellink, ensuring her legacy endures in the town where she dedicated much of her life.

Local officials describe the gesture not only as an act of remembrance but as a testament to a scholar whose academic rigor was matched by an enduring devotion to the land and people of Anatolia.