Editing Mortimer Wheeler (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Mortimer Wheeler bust.jpg|thumb|right|Bronze bust of Wheeler at the [[UCL Institute of Archaeology]]'s library]]
Wheeler was known as "Rik" among friends. He divided opinion among those who knew him, with some loving and others despising him, and during his lifetime, he was often criticised on both scholarly and moral grounds.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|pp=1-2, 10}}

Archaeologist Sir [[Max Mallowan]] asserted that he "was a delightful, light-hearted and amusing companion, but those close to him knew that he could be a dangerous opponent if threatened with frustration".{{sfn|Mallowan|1977|p=vi}}
His [[wikt:charm offensive|charm offensive]]s were often condemned as being insincere.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=8}}

During excavations, he was known as an authoritarian leader but favoured those who he thought exhibited bravery by standing up to his authority.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|pp=9–10}} Hence, he has been termed "a benevolent dictator".{{sfn|Guha|2003a|p=9}} He was meticulous in his writings, and would repeatedly revise and rewrite both pieces for publication and personal letters.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=4}} Throughout his life, he was a heavy smoker.{{sfn|Carr|2012|p=108}}

Wheeler expressed the view that he was "the least political of mortals".{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=257}} Despite not taking a strong interest in politics, Wheeler was described by his biographer as "a natural conservative"; for instance, during his youth he was strongly critical of the [[Suffragette]]s and their cause of greater legal rights for women.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|pp=45–46}}

Nevertheless, he was "usually happy to advance young women professionally", something that may have been based largely on his sexual attraction toward them. He expressed little interest in his relatives; in later life, he saw no reason to have a social relationship with people purely on the basis of family ties.{{sfn|Carr|2012|pp=76, 94-95}}

Wheeler was married three times. In May 1914, Wheeler married [[Tessa Wheeler|Tessa Verney]]. Tessa became an accomplished archaeologist, and they collaborated until her death in 1936. Their only child, [[Michael Mortimer Wheeler]], was born in January 1915; he became a barrister.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=271}} Following Tessa's death, in 1939, Wheeler married [[Mavis Wheeler|Mavis de Vere Cole]],{{sfn|Carr|2012|p=234}} widow of prankster [[Horace de Vere Cole]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Tony|last=Grumley-Grennan|title=Tales of English Eccentrics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TXs3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA119|year=2010|isbn=978-0-9538922-4-2|pages=119–121|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> Their relationship was strained; Cole's diaries revealed that Wheeler hit her when she annoyed him, which he was later shocked at having done.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=189}}

In 1945, Mortimer Wheeler married his third wife, [[Margaret Collingridge Wheeler|Margaret Collingridge]]. Although they became estranged in 1956, Collingridge's [[Christian views on divorce#Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism prevented divorce]]. Meanwhile, Wheeler was well known for his conspicuous promiscuity, favouring young women for [[one-night stands]], many of whom were his students.{{sfnm|1a1=Hawkes|1y=1982|1pp=10–12|2a1=Carr|2y=2012|2p=234}} He was further known for having casual sex in public places. That behaviour led to much emotional suffering among his various wives and mistresses of which he was aware.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=12}}