MACKAY, Ernest John Henry. Bristol 5.7.1880 — London 2.10.1943. British Archaeologist. Son of Richard Cockrill Mackay (1839–1906) and Mary Dermott Thomas, educated at Bristol Grammar School and Bristol University. B.A. 1918, M.A. 1922, D.Litt. 1933. Assisted excavations in Egypt in 1907-12, trained by Petrie. In 1913-16 conducted excavations and photographic survey of the Theban Tombs in Egypt, in 1916-19 served as Captain in the R.A.S.C. in Egypt and Palestine. In 1919-20 member of Army Commission for Survey of Ancient Monuments in Palestine and Syria, in 1919-22 Custodian of Antiquities, Palestine Government. In 1922-26 Field Director of the Oxford University and the Field Museum (Chicago) Archaeological Expedition to Mesopotamia, in 1925 conducted excavations in Bahrain. In 1926-31 Special Officer for Exploration for A.S.I., excavated at Mohenjo-Daro. In 1935-36 Director of the Expedition of American School of Indic and Iranian Studies and Boston Museum of Fine Arts to Chanhu-daro, India. Married 1912 Dorothy Mary Simmons (1881–1953), an anthropologist who then participated in his work, two sons.

Though originally a Near Eastern archaeologist, EM has an important place in Indian archaeology, too, because of his excavations at Mohenjo-daro and Chanhu-daro.

Publications: With Petrie: Heliopolis. L. 1915; The City of Shepherd Kings and Ancient Gaza. L. 1952; with others: The ‘A’ Cemetery at Kish. Chicago 1925; A Sumerian Palace and the A’ Cemetery at Kish. Chicago 1926; Excavations at Jemdet Nasr, Iraq. Chicago 1930; further books and articles.

– “Painted Pottery in Modern Sind: A Survival of an Ancient Industry”, JRAnthrInst 60, 1930, 127-135.

– With J. Marshall and others: Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilization. 1-3. 25+716+11 p.  164 pl. L. 1931.

– The Indus Civilization. 8+210 p. L. 1935; Further excavations at Mohenjo-daro (1927–31). 1-2. Delhi 1938.

– Chanhu-daro excavations, 1935–1936. 338 p. 96 pl. A.O.S. 20. New Haven 1943.

Sources: Dawson & Uphill, Who Was Who in Egyptology. 2nd rev. ed. L. 1972; G.L. Possehl, Expedition Magazine 52, 2010 (in penn.museum); Wikipedia with photo.