Biographical/Historical Note

Harald Ingholt (1896-1985) studied theology as an undergraduate at the University of Copenhagen, from which he also received his Dr. Phil. in archaeology in 1928 for his work on the sculpture of Palmyra. His first professional position was as an assistant curator at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (1925-1930), and for part of his tenure he served concurrently as the secretary of the Carlsbergfondet (1927-1930).

In 1931 Ingholt took up a new teaching post in archaeology at the American University of Beirut, as well as becoming curator of the university's museum collections. When this position ended in 1937, Ingholt returned to Denmark and taught Hebrew and the Old Testament at Aarhus University from 1938 to 1941. Ingholt then moved to the United States where he had spent time as a student studying archaeology at Princeton in 1922. Ingholt joined the Yale University faculty in 1942 as a lecturer and advanced through the academic ranks until his retirement as a Professor in 1964, holding positions in Classics, Biblical Exegesis and Archaeology.

Ingholt's curatorial activities also continued at Yale. In 1954, he was involved with the Yale University Art Gallery exhibition, Palmyrene and Gandharan Sculpture. Ingholt appears to have been led east into the realm of Gandharan art through the element of Parthian influence, his previous research and publications having traced this element in the sculpture of Palmyra and Hatra. Shortly after this exhibition Ingholt was approached to write the text accompanying a group of photographs by Islay Lyons, the project which became Gandhāran Art in Pakistan. Although the book represents Ingholt's main contribution to the study of Gandharan art, he appears to have continued researching the topic after its publication.

In addition to his curatorial and teaching duties, Ingholt excavated at sites in the Near East including Palmyra (1924, 1925, 1928) and at Hama (1932-1938) where he led the Danish excavations. As well as producing his own numerous publications, Ingholt took an active editorial role in his field. He founded the journal Berytus: Archaeological Studies in 1934, and in the early 1970s oversaw Yale's publication of the excavations at Dura Europas.