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Projectile Point/1

Collector:
P. L. Cooper  Search this
J. J. Bauxar  Search this
Wheele  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Koehler Site  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Point
Place:
Heart Butte Reservoir, Grant County, North Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
11 Mar 1955
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
205436
USNM Number:
A406534-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3fa48aac1-85ee-447c-a392-6bd397a0a5fd
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8154275

Rim, And Bodysherds/1 lot

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Oldham  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Sherd
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1955
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
209283
USNM Number:
A408956-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/398da1c4b-b0bd-436a-9d09-ac35b3932daa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8156908

Side-Scrapers And Fragments

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Oldham  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Scraper
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1955
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
209283
USNM Number:
A409802-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3bf9d01c1-799d-4569-9311-37375706ba40
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8157819

Polished Scapula Fragment/1

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Buffalo Pasture  Search this
Culture:
Protohistoric Arikara  Search this
Object Type:
Bone Modified
Place:
Oahe Reservoir, Stanley County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1955
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
211158
USNM Number:
A413637-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/31f4877de-9af0-4e38-9ebb-d22a42e5c14f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8162032

End-Scrapers

Collector:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Bureau Of American Ethnology  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Scraper
Place:
Garrison Reservoir, Mclean County, North Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
214234
USNM Number:
A416242-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b9da2a66-2215-4379-b4d6-ab076778f01b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8164984

Bone Tool "Quill Flattener"

Collector:
Dr. Waldo R. Wedel  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Black Widow Ridge  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Bone Modified
Place:
Stanley County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
228919
USNM Number:
A424069-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3ea04b5c2-0786-4dd9-bbcd-c87d0fc8e46d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8176639

Projectile Point

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Prehistoric  Search this
Object Type:
Point
Place:
Angostura Reservoir, Fall River County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
18 Oct 1957
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
232741
USNM Number:
A426936-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/366e2461d-5499-423c-8576-f11dd3a3281d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8179840

Indian Land Allotment Stake

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
G. H. Smith  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Fort Berthold II  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Stake
Place:
Garrison Reservoir, Mclean County, North Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
15 Jun 1959
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
238627
USNM Number:
A431024-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3cd6c527e-0973-4d83-b818-4733fea3f696
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8184332

Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology

Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Extent:
245 Linear feet ((375 boxes and 10 map drawers))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1878-1965
Summary:
The records in this collection embody the administrative functions of the Bureau of American Ethnology from 1879 to 1965. The collection consists of correspondence, card files, registers, official notices, annual and monthly work reports, research statements, research proposals, grant applications, personnel action requests, notices of personnel action, meeting minutes, purchase orders and requisitions, property records, biographical sketches, resolutions, newspaper clippings, reviews of publications, drafts of publications, circulars, programs, pamphlets, announcements, illustrations, cartographic materials, photographic prints, photographic negatives, bibliographies, and reprinted publications.
Scope and Contents:
The records in this collection embody the administrative functions of the Bureau of American Ethnology from 1879 to 1965. The collection consists of correspondence, card files, registers, official notices, annual and monthly work reports, research statements, research proposals, grant applications, personnel action requests, notices of personnel action, meeting minutes, purchase orders and requisitions, property records, biographical sketches, resolutions, newspaper clippings, reviews of publications, drafts of publications, circulars, programs, pamphlets, announcements, illustrations, cartographic materials, photographic prints, photographic negatives, bibliographies, and reprinted publications.

Correspondence comprises the bulk of this collection. A significant portion of this correspondence originates from the Bureau's duty to field inquiries regarding North American aboriginal cultures and respond to requests relating to the duplication of BAE library and archival materials. Inquiries and requests, received from all parts of the world, were submitted by colleagues, museum curators and directors, students, professors, amateur archaeologists, government agents, military officials, Smithsonian Institution officials, artists, and members of the general public. Other correspondence reflects the Bureau's day-to-day operations and internal affairs. Subjects discussed in this correspondence include research projects, field expeditions, annual budgets, personnel matters, the acquisition of manuscripts, the disbursement of specimens, and production of BAE publications. Correspondence is occasionally accompanied by announcements, circulars, programs, pamphlets, photographs, drawings, diagrams, bibliographies, lists, newspaper clippings, and maps. Also among these records are the card files and registers of incoming and outgoing correspondence maintained by early BAE administrative staff. For a list of correspondents, see the appendix to this finding aid, available in the NAA reading room.

The majority of illustrations, artwork, and photographs that appear in this collection are associated with BAE publications, including BAE Annual Reports, BAE Bulletins, Contributions to North American Ethnology and Smithsonian Institution, Miscellaneous Collection. Maps located among the collection originate, by and large, from BAE field expeditions and research projects. BAE staff also amassed great quantities of newspaper clippings that concerned BAE research or points of interest. Of particular note are three scrapbooks comprised of clippings that relate to "mound builders" and the work of the BAE's Division of Mound Explorations.

Also worthy of note are the various records relating to the 1903 investigation of the BAE. Records related to the investigation highlight the Smithsonian Institution's longstanding dissatisfaction with the internal management of the BAE, its concerns over the BAE's loose relationship with the parent organization, and displeasure with the manner in which BAE scientific research was developing. Other materials of special interest are the various administrative records covering the period 1929 to 1946 and 1949 to 1965. The majority cover personnel matters; however, others justify the work of the BAE and bear witness to growing concerns that the BAE would eventually be absorbed by the Department of Anthropology within the United States National Museum.
Arrangement:
The collection has been arranged into the following 12 series: (1) Correspondence, 1897-1965; (2) Cooperative Ethnological Investigations, 1928-1935; (3) Miscellaneous Administrative Files, 1929-1946; (4) Miscellaneous Administrative Files, 1949-1965; (5) Records Concerning the Photographic Print Collection, 1899-1919; (6) Records Concerning Employees; (7) Fiscal Records, 1901-1902 and 1945-1968; (8) Records Relating to the 1903 Investigation of the BAE; (9) Property Records and Requisitions; (10) Clippings; (11) Publications; (12) BAE Library Materials, Pamphlets and Reprints
Administrative History:
The Bureau of Ethnology was established by an act of the United States Congress on March 3, 1879, but it was largely the personal creation of the geologist and explorer Major John Wesley Powell. His earlier explorations of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon formed the basis of the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region. While exploring the area, Powell became alarmed at what he perceived to be the decline of the aboriginal way of life due to rapid depopulation. In a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, he warned that "in a few years, it will be impossible to study…Indians in their primitive condition, except from recorded history" (Hinsley). He urged swift government action; the result of which was the appropriation of $20,000 (20 Stat. 397) to transfer all documents relating to North American Indians from the Department of Interior to the Smithsonian Institution and its Secretary's appointment of Powell as director of the newly established Bureau of Ethnology, a position he held until his death in 1902. In 1897, its name was changed to the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) to underscore the limits of its geographical reaches.

Under Powell, the BAE organized the nation's earliest anthropological field expeditions, in which the characteristics and customs of native North Americans were observed firsthand and documented in official reports. Images of Indian life were captured on photographic glass plate negatives, and their songs on wax cylinder recordings. Histories, vocabularies and myths were gathered, along with material objects excavated from archaeological sites, and brought back to Washington for inclusion in the BAE manuscript library or the United States National Museum.

The fruits of these investigations were disseminated via a series of highly regarded and widely distributed publications, most notably BAE Annual Reports, BAE Bulletins, and Contributions to North American Ethnology. BAE research staff also responded routinely to inquiries posed by colleagues, government agencies, and the general public on matters ranging from artwork to warfare. Moreover, the BAE prepared exhibits on the various cultural groups it studied not only for the Smithsonian Institution, but also for large expositions held nationwide.

In 1882 Powell, under instruction of Congress, established the Division of Mound Explorations for the purpose of discovering the true origin of earthen mounds found predominately throughout the eastern United States. It was the first of three temporary, yet significant, subunits supported by the Bureau. Cyrus Thomas, head of the Division, published his conclusions in the Bureau's Annual Report of 1894, which is considered to be the last word in the controversy over the mounds' origins. With the publication of Thomas' findings, the Division's work came to a close.

The course of BAE operations remained largely the same under Powell's successors: W.J. McGee (acting director) 1902; William Henry Holmes, 1902-1910; Frederick W. Hodge, 1910-1918; J. Walter Fewkes, 1918-1928; Matthew W. Stirling, 1928-1957; Frank H.H. Roberts, Jr., 1957-1964; and Henry B. Collins (acting director), 1964-1965. However, following a 1903 internal investigation of the Bureau's administrative activities, Smithsonian officials called for a broader scope of ethnological inquiry and greater application of anthropological research methodologies. The BAE responded in 1904 by expanding agency activities to include investigations in Hawaii, the Philippines, and the Caribbean.

The BAE extended its geographical reaches once again, in the 1940s, to include Central and South America. In 1943, the Institute of Social Anthropology (ISA) was established as an independent subunit of the Bureau for the purpose of developing and promoting ethnological research throughout the American Republics. The findings of ISA-sponsored investigations were published in the six volume series, Handbook of South American Indians (BAE Bulletin 143). Julian H. Steward, editor of the Handbook, was appointed director of ISA operations and held the position until 1946 when George M. Foster assumed responsibility. The ISA was absorbed by the Institute of Inter-American Affairs in 1952, thus terminating its relationship with the BAE.

In 1946 the BAE assumed partial administrative control of the recently established River Basin Surveys (RBS), its third and final autonomous subunit. The purpose of the RBS was to salvage and preserve archaeological evidence threatened by post-World War II public works programs, more specifically the rapid construction of dams and reservoirs occurring throughout the country. Excavations conducted under the RBS yielded considerable data on early North American Indian settlements, and subsequent deliberations on this data were published as reports in various BAE Bulletins.

In 1965, the BAE merged administratively with the Smithsonian Institution's Department of Anthropology to form the Office of Anthropology within the United States National Museum (now the Department of Anthropology within the National Museum of Natural History). The BAE manuscript library, also absorbed by the Department of Anthropology, became the foundation of what is today the National Anthropological Archives (NAA).

In its 86 year existence, the BAE played a significant role in the advancement of American anthropology. Its staff included some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' most distinguished anthropologists, including Jeremiah Curtain, Frank Hamilton Cushing, J.O. Dorsey, Jesse Walter Fewkes, Alice Cunningham Fletcher, Albert H. Gatschet, John Peabody Harrington, John N.B. Hewitt, William Henry Holmes, Ales Hrdlicka, Neil Judd, Francis LaFlesche, Victor and Cosmo Mindeleff, James Mooney, James Pilling, Matilda Coxe Stevenson, Matthew Williams Stirling, William Duncan Strong, and William Sturtevant. The BAE also collaborated with and supported the work of many non-Smithsonian researchers, most notably Franz Boas, Frances Densmore, Gerard Fowke, Garrick Mallery, Washington Matthews, Paul Radin, John Swanton, Cyrus Thomas, and T.T. Waterman, as well as America's earliest field photographers such as Charles Bell, John K. Hillers, Timothy O'Sullivan, and William Dinwiddie. Several of its staff founded the Anthropological Society of Washington in 1880, which later became the American Anthropological Association in 1899. What is more, its seminal research continues to be drawn upon by contemporary anthropologists and government agents through the use of BAE manuscripts now housed in the NAA.

Sources Consulted:

Hinsley, Curtis. Savages and Scientists: The Smithsonian Institution and the Development of American Anthropology, 1846-1910. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.

McGee, WJ. "Bureau of American Ethnology." The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896, The History of its First Half-Century, pp. 367-396. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1897.

Sturtevant, William. "Why a Bureau of American Ethnology?" Box 286, Functions of the BAE, Series IV: Miscellaneous Administrative Files, 1948-1965, Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, National Anthropological Archives.
Related Materials:
Additional material relating to BAE administrative affairs and research projects can be found among the National Anthropological Archives' vast collection of numbered manuscripts. Too numerous to list in this space, these include official correspondence, monthly and annual work reports, fiscal records, field notes, personal diaries, expedition logs, catalogues of specimens, vocabularies, historical sketches, maps, diagrams, drawings, bibliographies, working papers and published writings, among various other material. Most of these documents are dispersed throughout the numbered manuscript collection as single items; however, some have been culled and unified into larger units (e.g., MS 2400 is comprised of documents relating to the Division of Mound Explorations). Artwork and illustrations produced for BAE publications are also located among the NAA's numbered manuscript collection as well as its photograph collection (e.g., Photo Lot 78-51 and Photo Lot 80-6).

Photographs concerning BAE research interests can be found among the following NAA photographic lots: Photo Lot 14, Bureau of American Ethnology Subject and Geographic File ca. 1870s-1930s; Photo Lot 24, BAE Photographs of American Indians 1840s to 1960s (also known as the Source Print Collection); Photo Lot 60, BAE Reference Albums 1858-1905; and Photo Lot 85, BAE Miscellaneous Photographs 1895 to 1930. Other photographic lots include portraits of BAE staff and collaborators, namely Photo Lot 33, Portraits of Anthropologists and others 1860s-1960s; Photo Lot 68, Portraits of John Wesley Powell ca. 1890 and 1898; and Photo Lot 70, Department of Anthropology Portrait File ca. 1864-1921.

Additional materials in the NAA relating to the work of the BAE can be found among the professional papers of its staff, collaborators and USNM anthropologists. These include the papers of Ales Hrdlicka, John Peabody Harrington, Otis Mason, J.C. Pilling, Matthew Williams Stirling, and William Duncan Strong. Documents relating to the work of the BAE can be found among the records of the River Basin Surveys (1928-1969) and the Institute of Social Anthropology (1941-1952).

Records related to this collection can also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA). SIA accession 05-124 includes information regarding the 1942 transfer of six audio recordings related to the Chumash Indian language from the Bureau of American Ethnology to the National Archives, nine pages of Chumash translations, and "The Story of Candalaria, the Old Indian Basket-Maker." The Fiscal and Payroll Records of the Office of the Secretary, 1847 to 1942 (Record Unit 93), includes voucher logs, disbursement journals and daybooks of money paid out to the BAE from 1890 to 1910. BAE correspondence can also be found among the Records of the Office of the Secretary (Record Unit 776, accession 05-162). The Papers of William Henry Holmes, second director of the BAE, are also located among the SIA (Record Unit 7084).

Accession records concerning artifacts and specimens collected by the BAE are located in the registrar's office of the National Museum of Natural History.

Related collections can also be found at the National Archives and Records Administration. RG 57.3.1, the Administrative Records of the United States Geological Survey, includes register of applications for BAE ethnological expositions conducted between 1879-1882. RG 75.29, Still Pictures among the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, includes 22 photographs of Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Navajo, and Apache Indians taken by William S. Soule for the BAE during 1868-1875. RG 106, Records of the Smithsonian Institution, includes cartographic records (106.2) relating to Indian land cessions in Indiana created for the First Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1881 (1 item); a distribution of American Indian linguistic stock in North America and Greenland, by John Wesley Powell, for the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, ca. 1887 (1 item); a distribution of Indian tribal and linguistic groups in South America, 1950 (1 item); the Indian tribes in North America, for Bulletin 145, Bureau of American Ethnology, 1952 (4 items). Sound Recordings (106.4) include songs and linguistic material relating to the Aleut, Mission, Chumash, and Creek, gather by the BAE in 1912, 1914, 1930-41. Some include translations (122 items).
Provenance:
The Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology were transferred to the Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Archives with the merger of the BAE and the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History in 1965. The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Archives was renamed the National Anthropological Archives in 1968.
Restrictions:
The Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology are open for research.

Access to the Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Citation:
Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.XXXX.0155
See more items in:
Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw391046c25-21e2-4334-a01f-9a6f734ae9cd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-xxxx-0155
Online Media:

MS 2011-29 Oral history interview of Waldo R. Wedel

Interviewee:
Wedel, Waldo R. (Waldo Rudolph), 1908-1996  Search this
Interviewer:
Banks, Larry D.  Search this
Givens, Douglas R.  Search this
Names:
River Basin Surveys  Search this
Smithsonian Institution  Search this
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Bushnell, David I., Jr. (David Ives), 1875-1941  Search this
Evans, Clifford, 1920-1981  Search this
Haury, Emil W. (Emil Walter), 1904-1992  Search this
Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this
Lehmer, Donald Jayne, 1918-1975  Search this
Roberts, Frank H. H. (Frank Harold Hanna), 1897-1966  Search this
Stephenson, Robert L. (Robert Lloyd), 1919-  Search this
Stewart, T. D. (Thomas Dale), 1901-1997  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Strong, William Duncan, 1899-1962  Search this
Wedel, Mildred Mott  Search this
Extent:
2 Sound cassettes (analog)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound cassettes
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1996 June 17
Scope and Contents:
Interview of Waldo R. Wedel conducted by Larry D. Banks and Douglas Givens on June 17, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado. The interview was conducted at Wedel's nursing home, a couple of months before he died.This interview is part of a series of oral histories of archaeologists recorded by Givens. Topics include Wedel's youth, career, fieldwork, colleagues, the Smithsonian Institution, and the River Basin Surveys.
Biographical / Historical:
Waldo R. Wedel was an archaeologist, best known for his contributions to Plains archaeology. He worked at the Smithsonian Institution from 1936 to 1977. He began his career at the Smithsonian as an assistant curator under Neil M. Judd in the Division of Archeology in the United States National Museum. He later became curator of archeology in 1950, and in 1962, he became head curator of the Department of Anthropology. In 1964-1965, he was acting head of the newly organized Smithsonian Office of Anthropology. Wedel also established and directed the Missouri Basin Project (1946-50) of the Bureau of American Ethnology's River Basin Surveys.
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 2011-29
General:
Date on box insert incorrectly listed as July 18, 1996.
Other Archival Materials:
See also Waldo R. Wedel and Mildred Mott Wedel Papers
Provenance:
Received from Dennis Stanford.
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Manuscript 2011-29, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NAA.MS2011-29
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f690200b-ddb5-4bcf-9d57-acf2d3494375
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-ms2011-29

MS 4846 Correspondence between BAE authors and the BAE Editorʹs office

Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology Editor  Search this
Carmichael, Leonard, 1898-1973  Search this
Johnson, F.  Search this
Correspondent:
Adams, William Yewdale  Search this
Alphonse, Rev. E.S.  Search this
Bass, William Marvin, III  Search this
Basso, Keith  Search this
Benedict, Ruth, 1887-1948  Search this
Biese, L. P.  Search this
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Bowers, Alfred W.  Search this
Boyd, Mark F.  Search this
Bunzel, Ruth Leah, 1898-1990  Search this
Caldwell, Warren W.  Search this
Cancillius, D.  Search this
Capron, Louis Bishop, 1891-1971  Search this
Chafe, William  Search this
Coe, Joffre Lanning  Search this
Coe, Michael  Search this
Colton, Harold Sellers, 1881-1970  Search this
Cooper, Paul L. (Paul Lemen), 1909-1961  Search this
Davis, I.  Search this
De Laguna, Frederica, 1906-2004  Search this
Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957  Search this
Devereux, George  Search this
Dorsey, H. W.  Search this
Drucker, Philip, 1911-1982  Search this
Evans, Clifford, Jr.  Search this
Ewers, John C. (John Canfield), 1909-1997  Search this
Fenton, William N. (William Nelson), 1908-2005  Search this
Fisher, E. M.  Search this
Flannery, Kent Vaughn  Search this
Flannery, Regina  Search this
Fogelson, Raymond D.  Search this
Follett, W. I.  Search this
Fowke, Gerard, 1855-1933  Search this
Gearing, Frederick O., 1922-  Search this
Gentry H. S.  Search this
Gifford, Edward Winslow  Search this
Goggin, John M.  Search this
Goldfrank, Esther Schiff  Search this
Grange, R. T., Jr  Search this
Griffin, James B. (James Bennett), 1905-1997  Search this
Gulick, John  Search this
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Hass, Mary  Search this
Heizer, Robert F. (Robert Fleming), 1915-1979  Search this
Henry, J.  Search this
Hickerson, Harold  Search this
Hickerson, Joseph Charles, 1935-  Search this
Hilger, Marie Inez, Sister, 1891-1977  Search this
Hoffman, B.  Search this
Holland, C. G.  Search this
Holzinger, C. H.  Search this
Howard, James H., 1925-1982 (James Henri)  Search this
Hoyme, Lucile Eleanor  Search this
Jelks, Edward  Search this
Jones, J. A.  Search this
Keyes, I.  Search this
Kilpatrick, F. and A.  Search this
Kissell, Mary Lois  Search this
Krieger, Herbert W. (Herbert William), 1889-1970  Search this
Kupferer, Harriet J.  Search this
Kurath, G.  Search this
Kutsche, P.  Search this
Ladd, J.  Search this
La Flesche, Francis, 1857-1932  Search this
Landy, D.  Search this
Le Claire, P.  Search this
Lewis, M. G.  Search this
Lounsbury, Floyd Glenn  Search this
Malouf, Carling I. (Carling Isaac), 1916-2007  Search this
Mangelsdorf  Search this
Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967  Search this
Mason  Search this
Mattes, Merrill J.  Search this
Merriam, Alan P. (Alan Parkhurst), 1923-1980  Search this
Metcalf, George, 1900-1975  Search this
Meyer, G.  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Miller, Carl F.  Search this
Mills, J. E.  Search this
Morley, Sylvanus Griswold, 1883-1948  Search this
Murrill, R.  Search this
Neuman, R.  Search this
Oberg, Kalvero  Search this
O'Bryan, A.  Search this
Olbrechts, Frans M., 1899-1958  Search this
Osborne, Douglas  Search this
Oswalt, W.  Search this
Palmer, M. H.  Search this
Parsons, Elsie Worthington Clews, 1874-1941  Search this
Petersen, Karen Daniels  Search this
Pierson, D.  Search this
Radin, Paul, 1883-1959  Search this
Rands, R. L.  Search this
Rhodes, Willard, 1901-1992  Search this
Roberts, Helen H. (Helen Heffron), 1888-1985  Search this
Roth, William P.  Search this
Shimkin, Demitri Boris  Search this
Shiner, Joel L.  Search this
Smith, C.  Search this
Smith, Homer Garner  Search this
Solecki, Ralph S.  Search this
Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this
Spencer, Robert  Search this
Spier, Leslie, 1893-1961  Search this
Squier, Robert J.  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958  Search this
Tax, Sol, 1907-1995  Search this
Teit, James Alexander, 1864-1922  Search this
Thomas, R. K.  Search this
Tooker, Elizabeth  Search this
Tschopik, Harry S. Jr.  Search this
Tsien Y. Y.  Search this
Van Stone, James W.  Search this
Wheeler-Voegelin, Erminie, 1903-1988  Search this
Vogt, Evon Zartman  Search this
Wallace, A.  Search this
Wallace, W. J.  Search this
Webb, William S. (William Snyder), 1882-1964  Search this
Wedel, Waldo R. (Waldo Rudolph), 1908-1996  Search this
Weiant, C. W. (Clarence Wolsey), 1897-1986  Search this
Weltfish, Gene, 1902-1980  Search this
Wheeler, Richard Page  Search this
White, Leslie A., 1900-1975  Search this
Wilder, C. S.  Search this
Willey, Gordon R. (Gordon Randolph), 1913-2002  Search this
Wood, Raymond  Search this
Woodbury, Richard B. (Richard Benjamin), 1917-2009  Search this
Ackerknecht, Erwin H.  Search this
Beals, Ralph L. (Ralph Leon), 1901-1985  Search this
Boyd W.  Search this
Collier, Donald, 1911-1995  Search this
Cooper, John M. (John Montgomery), 1881-1949  Search this
De Avile, B.  Search this
De Gandia, E.  Search this
Frenguelli, Joaquín, 1883-1958  Search this
Gillin, John, 1907-1973  Search this
Gilmore, R. M.  Search this
Goldman, Irving, 1911-2002  Search this
Heizer, Robert F. (Robert Fleming), 1915-1979  Search this
Henckel, C.  Search this
Horton, D.  Search this
Imbelloni, J.  Search this
Kubler, G. A.  Search this
La Barre, Weston, 1911-1996  Search this
Levi-Strauss, C.  Search this
Lipkind, William, 1904-1974  Search this
Lowie, Robert Harry, 1883-1957  Search this
McBryde, F. W.  Search this
McCown, T. D.  Search this
Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967  Search this
Miller, R. R.  Search this
OʹNeale, Lila M.  Search this
Parks, E. T.  Search this
Pourchet, M. J.  Search this
Powers, N.  Search this
Riley, M. W.  Search this
Root, W. C.  Search this
Rouse, Irving, 1913-2006  Search this
Rowe, John Howland, 1918-2004  Search this
Sauer, Carl  Search this
Steggerda, Morris, 1900-1950  Search this
Steward, Julian Haynes, 1902-1972  Search this
Stone, D.  Search this
Stout, D. C.  Search this
Strong, William Duncan, 1899-1962  Search this
Tax, Sol, 1907-1995  Search this
Wagley, Charles, 1913-1991  Search this
Wagley, Charles, 1913-1991  Search this
Wilson, E. A.  Search this
Science Information Services  Search this
Names:
Hunter College  Search this
Extent:
3 Volumes
4 Boxes
Culture:
Isleta Pueblo  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Volumes
Date:
1927-1967
Scope and Contents:
Also records of galley and page proofs.
Arrangement:
Letters are arranged alphabetically by author, except for a separate file relating to the Handbook of South American Indians (BAE-B 143).
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 4846
Topic:
Handbook of Middle American Indians  Search this
Policy  Search this
River Basin Survey Bulletin-Final Costs  Search this
Citation:
Manuscript 4846, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.MS4846
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw335c2e46c-a52c-403a-a722-0c1f083c5c3b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-ms4846

Department of Anthropology records

Creator:
National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Department of Anthropology  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Department of Anthropology  Search this
Extent:
330.25 Linear feet (519 boxes)
Note:
Some materials are held off-site; this will be indicated at the series or sub-series level. Advanced notice must be given to view these portions of the collection.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1840s-circa 2015
Summary:
The Department of Anthropology records contain administrative and research materials produced by the department and its members from the time of the Smithsonian Institution's foundation until today.
Scope and Contents:
The Department of Anthropology records contain correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, memoranda, invoices, meeting minutes, fiscal records, annual reports, grant applications, personnel records, receipts, and forms. The topics covered in the materials include collections, exhibits, staff, conservation, acquisitions, loans, storage and office space, administration, operations, research, budgets, security, office procedures, and funding. The materials were created by members of the Section of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, the Division of Anthropology of the United States National Museum, the Office of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History, and the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History and range in date from before the founding of the Smithsonian Institution to today. The Department of Anthropology records also contain some materials related to the Bureau of American Ethnology, such as documents from the River Basin Surveys.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 28 series: (1) Correspondence, 1902-1908, 1961-1992; (2) Alpha-Subject File, 1828-1963; (3) Alpha-Subject File, 1961-1975; (4) Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Subject Files, 1967-1968; (5) River Basin Survey Files, 1965-1969; (6) Research Statements, Proposals, and Awards, 1961-1977 (bulk 1966-1973); (7) Publication File, 1960-1975; (8) Memoranda and Lists Concerning Condemnations, 1910-1965; (9) Notebook on Special Exhibits, 1951-1952 (10) Section on Animal Industry; (11) Administrative Records, 1891-1974; (12) Administrative Records, 1965-1994 (bulk 1975-1988); (13) Fiscal Records, 1904-1986; (14) Annual Reports, 1920-1983; (15) Chairman's Office Files, 1987-1993; (16) Division of Archaeology, 1828-1965; (17) Division of Ethnology, 1840s, 1860-1972, 1997; (18) Division of Physical Anthropology; (19) Division of Cultural Anthropology, 1920-1968; (20) Records of the Anthropological Laboratory/Anthropology Conservation and Restoration Laboratory, 1939-1973; (21) Collections Management, 1965-1985; (22) Photographs of Specimens and Other Subjects (Processing Laboratory Photographs), 1880s-1950s; (23) Exhibit Labels, Specimen Labels, Catalog Cards, and Miscellaneous Documents, circa 1870-1950; (24) Antiquities Act Permits, 1904-1986; (25) Ancient Technology Program, circa 1966-1981; (26) Urgent Anthropology; (27) Records of the Handbook of North American Indians; (28) Personnel; (29) Repatriation Office, 1991-1994
Administrative History.:
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846. Although there was no department of anthropology until the creation of the Section of Ethnology in 1879, anthropological materials were part of the Smithsonian's collection from its foundation. The Section of Ethnology was created to care for the rapidly growing collection. In 1881, the United States National Museum was established. Soon thereafter, in 1883, it was broken up into divisions, including the Division of Anthropology. In 1904, Physical Anthropology was added to the Division.

The Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was created in 1879 as a research unit of the Smithsonian, separating research from collections care. However, during the 1950s, research became a higher priority for the Department of Anthropology and, in 1965, the BAE was merged with the Department of Anthropology to create the Office of Anthropology, and the BAE's archives became the National Anthropological Archives (NAA).

In 1967, the United States National Museum was broken up into three separate museums: the Musuem of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), the National Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Office of Anthropology was included in NMNH and was renamed the Department of Anthropology in 1968.

New divisions were added to the Department, including the Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) in 1981, the Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) in 1982, and the Repatriation Office in 1993. In 1983, the Smithsonian opened the Museum Support Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland, as offsite housing for collections with specialized storage facilities and conservation labs.

The Department of Anthropology is currently the largest department within NMNH. It has three curatorial divisions (Ethnology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology) and its staff includes curators, research assistants, program staff, collections specialists, archivists, repatriation tribal liaisons, and administrative specialists. It has a number of outreach and research arms, including the Repatriation Office, Recovering Voices, Human Origins, and the Arctic Studies Center.

The Museum is home to one of the world's largest anthropology collections, with over three million specimens in archaeology, ethnology, and human skeletal biology. The NAA is the Smithsonian's oldest archival repository, with materials that reflect over 150 years of anthropological collecting and fieldwork. The HSFA is the only North American archive devoted exclusively to the collection and preservation of anthropological film and video.

Sources Consulted

National Museum of Natural History. "Department of Anthropology: About" Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/about

National Museum of Natural History. "History of Anthropology at the Smithsonian." Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/history-anthropology-si.pdf

National Museum of Natural History. "History of the Smithsonian Combined Catalog." Accessed April 13, 2020 https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sihistory.htm

Chronology

1846 -- The Smithsonian Institution is founded

1879 -- George Catlin bequeaths his collection to the Smithsonian The Section of Ethnology is established to oversee ethnological and archaeological collections The Bureau of Ethnology is established by Congress as a research unit of the Smithsonian

1881 -- The U.S. National Museum (USNM) is established as a separate entity within the Smithsonian Institution

1883 -- The staff and collections of the USNM are reorganized into divisions, including a Division of Anthropology

1897 -- The United States National Museum is reorganized into three departments: Anthropology headed by W. H. Holmes; Biology with F. W. True as head; and Geology with G. P. Merrill in charge The Bureau of Ethnology is renamed the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) to emphasize the geographic limit of its interests

1903 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology established

1904 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology is incorporated into the Division of Anthropology

1910 -- The USNM moves into the new Natural History Building

1965 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology is created on February 1 The BAE is eliminated and merged with the Office of Anthropology

1968 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology (SOA) of the National Museum of Natural History is retitled the Department of Anthropology on October 29

1973 -- The Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) is established at the National Museum of Natural History's (NMNH) Center for the Study of Man (CSM) to study the waves of immigration to the United States and its overseas outposts that began in the 1960's

1975 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is established

1981 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology

1982 -- The RIIES, part of the CSM at the NMNH, is transferred to the Department of Anthropology

1991 -- NMNH establishes a Repatriation Office

1993 -- The Repatriation Office is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology

Head Curators and Department Chairs

1897-1902 -- William Henry Holmes

1902-1903 -- Otis T. Mason (acting)

1904-1908 -- Otis T. Mason

1908-1909 -- Walter Hough (acting)

1910-1920 -- William Henry Holmes

1920-1923 -- Walter Hough (acting)

1923-1935 -- Walter Hough

1935-1960 -- Frank M. Setzler

1960-1962 -- T. Dale Stewart

1963-1965 -- Waldo R. Wedel

1965-1967 -- Richard Woodbury

1967-1970 -- Saul H. Riesenberg

1970-1975 -- Clifford Evans

1975-1980 -- William W. Fitzhugh

1980-1985 -- Douglas H. Ubelaker

1985-1988 -- Adrienne L. Kaeppler

1988-1992 -- Donald J. Ortner

1992-1999 -- Dennis Stanford

1999-2002 -- Carolyn L. Rose

2002-2005 -- William W. Fitzhugh

2005-2010 -- J. Daniel Rogers

2010-2014 -- Mary Jo Arnoldi

2014-2018 -- Torbin Rick

2018- -- Igor Krupnik
Related Materials:
The NAA holds collections of former head curators and department chairs, including the papers of Otis Tufton Mason, Walter Hough, T. Dale Stewart, Waldo Rudolph and Mildred Mott Wedel, Saul H. Riesenberg, Clifford Evans, and Donald J. Ortner; the photographs of Frank Maryl Setzler; and the Richard B. Woodbury collection of drawings of human and animal figures.

Other related collections at the NAA include the papers of Gordon D. Gibson, Eugene I. Knez, and Betty J. Meggers and Clifford Evans; and the records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the Center for the Study of Man, and the River Basin Surveys.
Provenance:
This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) by the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Anthropology in multiple accessions.
Restrictions:
Some materials are restricted.

Access to the Department of Anthropology records requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Anthropology  Search this
Ethnology  Search this
Archaeology  Search this
Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.XXXX.0311
See more items in:
Department of Anthropology records
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3da0f5297-c324-47c1-96dd-171f6edd11b6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-xxxx-0311

Percussion-Cap

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Fort Lower Brule  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Lyman County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
214037
USNM Number:
A415599-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3e80ab6b2-f8f2-4a8e-a534-65552074eedd
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8164284

Percussion Cap, Rifle

Collector:
Thomas R. Garth  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Lyman County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Collection Date:
9/27/50
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
214037
USNM Number:
A415656-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b5897b42-f6f3-469e-a769-fc3d485e85ad
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8164350

Percussion Cap, Rifle

Collector:
Thomas R. Garth  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Lyman County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Collection Date:
9/22/50
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
214037
USNM Number:
A415698-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/33dc30d9b-a10e-4e04-95ff-a103b0b900e8
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8164395

Fired Percussion Cap

Collector:
Missouri River Basin Survey  Search this
G. H. Smith  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Fort Berthold II  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Garrison Reservoir, Mclean County, North Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
15 Jun 1959
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
238627
USNM Number:
A430983-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3f2567702-5ac2-42db-ba10-cfdb9ff7f6f0
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8184284

Percussion cap

Collector:
G. H. Smith  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Site Name:
Fort George Trading Post  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Stanley County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
8 Sep 1986
Collection Date:
1962
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
362299
USNM Number:
A581105-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3a9196a71-6cd7-43b6-be2f-f3db37ab4f98
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_11803139

Percussion cap (gun part)

Collector:
Thomas R. Garth  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Fort Randall Reservoir, Lyman County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1957
Collection Date:
10 Oct 1950 to 11 Oct 1950
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
214037
USNM Number:
A556118-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/36eee1b5f-30e8-45f8-bd8e-03865d199fad
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8541741

Percussion cap

Collector:
G. H. Smith  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Oahe Reservoir, Stanley County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
8 Sep 1986
Collection Date:
1956
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
362299
USNM Number:
A554883-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/36c413602-55fb-47d7-8a39-02d36f7d7347
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8543338

Percussion cap

Collector:
G. H. Smith  Search this
Donor Name:
River Basin Survey  Search this
Culture:
Historic  Search this
Object Type:
Ammunition
Place:
Oahe Reservoir, Stanley County, South Dakota, United States, North America
Accession Date:
8 Sep 1986
Collection Date:
1956
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Accession Number:
362299
USNM Number:
A555795-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3c049840b-2c0b-480b-ae38-e7a685f82f0e
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8544967

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