What Happened To The Dorak Treasure?
A clever trick might have led to a significant archaeological loss
Archaeologist James Mellaart took little notice of the dark-haired girl sitting opposite him on the train from Istanbul — until a glance at the bracelet that she was wearing told him it was thousands of years old and made from solid gold. That glance was to lead him to a horde of priceless treasure and to a long battle to defend himself against a campaign of suspicion.
No archaeologist could have ignored the bracelet. As the train trundled across Turkey he introduced himself. The girl told him the bracelet came from a collection at her home, and she agreed to let him examine the rest. On that evening in 1958, Mellaart was burning with eagerness as the train drew into Izmir, on Turkey’s Aegean coast. The girl took him to her home, where the collection was lifted piece by piece from its hiding place in a chest of drawers.
A significant find
Mellaart was astounded. He asked if he could photograph the collection, which he thought was comparable to the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. The girl refused, but said he could stay in the house while he made sketches.
For days, Mellaart worked without a break on the pieces, copying their intricate designs and taking…
