Malcolm H. Wiener, the American businessman, archaeologist and philanthropist who spent more than five decades funding t...

Malcolm H. Wiener, the American businessman, archaeologist and philanthropist who spent more than five decades funding the excavation and study of ancient Greek civilization, died on Thursday at the age of 91. Wiener founded the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) in 1981, creating one of the most significant private funding sources for archaeological work across Greece and the broader Aegean. The institute financed excavations, research grants and fellowships focused on prehistoric Greek cultures for generations of scholars. He followed that in 1992 by establishing the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, a facility dedicated to bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology, archaeobotany and zooarchaeology. In 1995, he set up the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, which concentrated on preserving Minoan cultural heritage specifically. Wiener was not simply a donor. He published scholarly work on Bronze Age Aegean civilizations and their ties to Eastern Mediterranean cultures, and he chaired the board of trustees of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens between 2012 and 2016. The Hellenic Republic honored him with the Gold Cross of the Order of Honor, and the Academy of Athens elected him a corresponding member. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni issued a statement following the news of his death, describing Wiener as an "exceptionally rare combination" of successful businessman, selfless patron and serious scholar. She credited him with personally supervising and financing dozens of archaeological initiatives over more than 50 years, and noted that his support extended to academic chairs and scholarships at universities across the United States and Europe, benefiting hundreds of researchers over the course of his life. #Greece #Archaeology #Aegean