Ernest Mackay

Ernest Mackay is a well-known and respected English archaeologist, serving most recently as the Custodian of Antiquities for the British Mandate for Palestine. When the decision was made to excavate Kish, Mackay was hired to make the necessary arrangements. He conducted the first season's work himself, setting up the labor gangs and doing the initial survey of the site.
Mackay has spent much of his career in Egypt and the near east. During the war, he served with the Royal Army Medical Corp as a staff officer, later being assigned to the Imperial Camel Corps for the campaign in Palestine. He speaks several Arabic dialects fluently and is particularly knowledgeable about Arab religious and social customs.