 In 1936 , Wheeler embarked on a visit to the Near East , sailing from Marseilles to Port Said , where he visited the Old Kingdom tombs of Sakkara . From there he went via Sinai to Palestine , Lebanon , and Syria . During this trip , he visited various archaeological projects , but was dismayed by the quality of their excavations ; in particular , he noted that the American @-@ run excavation at Tel Megiddo was adopting standards that had been rejected in Britain twenty @-@ five years previously . He was away for six weeks , and upon his return to Europe discovered that his wife Tessa had died of a pulmonary embolism after a minor operation on her toe . According to Tessa 's biographer , for Wheeler this discovery was " the peak of mental misery , and marked the end of his ability to feel a certain kind of love " . That winter , his father also died . By the summer of 1937 , he had embarked on a new romance , with a young woman named Mavis de Vere Cole , who had first met Wheeler when visiting the Maidan Castle excavations with her then @-@ lover , the painter Augustus John . After she eventually agreed to his repeated requests for marriage , the two were wedded early in 1939 in a ceremony held at Caxton Hall , with a reception at Shelley House . They proceeded on a honeymoon to the Middle East . 
 In 1936 , Wheeler embarked on a visit to the Near East , sailing from Marseilles to Port Said , where he visited the Old Kingdom tombs of Sakkara . From there he went via Sinai to Palestine , Lebanon , and Syria . During this trip , he visited various archaeological projects , but was dismayed by the quality of their excavations ; in particular , he noted that the American @-@ run excavation at Tel Megiddo was adopting standards <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> been rejected in Britain twenty @-@ five years previously . He was away for six weeks , and upon his return to Europe discovered that his wife Tessa <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> died of a pulmonary embolism after a minor operation on her toe . According to Tessa <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>biographer , for Wheeler this discovery was " the peak of mental misery , and marked the end of his ability to feel a certain kind of love " . That winter , his father also<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> died . By the summer of 1937 , he <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>had</mark></a> embarked on a new romance , with a young woman named Mavis de Vere Cole , <a href='null_relcl' title='7'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>had</mark></a> first met Wheeler when visiting the Maidan Castle excavations with her then @-@ lover , the painter Augustus John . After she eventually agreed to his repeated requests for marriage , the two <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> wedded early in 1939 in a ceremony held at Caxton Hall , with a reception at Shelley House . They proceeded on a honeymoon to the Middle East . 
In 1936 , Wheeler embarked on a visit to the Near East , sailing from Marseilles to Port Said , where he visited the Old Kingdom tombs of Sakkara . From there he went via Sinai to Palestine , Lebanon , and Syria . durin dis trip , he visited various archaeological projects , but was dismayed by the quality of their excavations ; in particular , he noted dat the American @-@ run excavation at Tel Megiddo was adopting standards done been rejected in Britain twenty @-@ five yrs previously . He was away fir six weeks , and upon his return to Europe discovered that his wife Tessa done died of a pulmonary embolism after a minor operation on her toe . According to Tessa  biographer , for Wheeler this discovery was " the peak of mental misery , and marked da end of his ability to feel a certain kind of luhhh " . That winter , his father also done died . By the summer of 1937 , he done embarked on a new romance , with a young woman named Mavis de Vere Cole , done first met Wheeler when visiting tdaMaidan Castle excavations with her then @-@ lover , the painter Augustus John . After she eventually agreed to his repeated requests for marriage , the two was wedded early in 1939 in a ceremony held at Caxton Hall , with a reception at Shelley housee . They proceeded on a honeymoon to thdaiddle East .