Mervyn Popham

Mervyn Reddaway Popham, FBA, FSA (14 July 1927 – 24 October 2000) was a British archaeologist and prehistorian.

Born in Exeter, Popham was educated at the John Stacker School, Exeter and Exeter School. After National Service in the Royal Navy, he proceeded to the University of St Andrews, where he became interested in epigraphy and Cyprus under the archaeologist Terence Mitford.

Joining the Colonial Administrative Service in 1951, Popham served in Cyprus from 1953 to 1959, an experience which marked him. Beginning as assistant district commissioner for Nicosia, he then worked in the Secretariat in Nicosia, where he served during the initial stages of the Cyprus Emergency. He then served as district commissioner for the Troodos area, where many EOKA insurgents were hidden.

During his time in Cyprus, Popham continued to read and write about classical archaeology. Despite being urged by Sir Hugh Foot to remain in the Colonial Service and being offered a position as secretary to the Governor of Malta, Popham chose to resign from the Service in 1959 to return to archaeology. He completed a diploma in archaeology at the University of Oxford.

He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1988.