Jump to content

Herbert Spinden: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m formatting
add External Links area & Librivox author template
 
(26 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American anthropologist and art historian (1879–1967)}}
⚫
[[Image:Hebert_J_Spinden.jpg|right|thumb|Herbert J. Spinden from the archive of the American Museum of Natural History archeology division.]]

'''Herbert Joseph Spinden''' (1879–1967) was an American anthropologist, archeologist and art historian who specialized in the study of Native American cultures of the US and Mesoamerica. In 1936 he was president of the [[American Anthropological Association]]. He was born in [[Huron, South Dakota]]. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1909 at Harvard where he specialized in [[Maya art]] under the direction of [[Alfred Tozzer]], he then worked [[American Museum of Natural History]] where he undertook archeological studies in Mexico and Central America. While working as an archeologist in Central America he and [[Sylvanus G. Morley]] were among the American scientists gathering intelligence for the US Army.<ref>Browman, D. (2011). Spying by American Archaeologists in World War I. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 21(2).</ref> He then curated the collection of the [[Peabody Museum]] at Harvard, before taking museum positions in Brooklyn and Buffalo.<ref>http://www.amnh.org/our-research/anthropology/collections/collections-history/meso-american-archaeology/herbert-joseph-spinden/</ref> He also did ethnographic studies among the [[Nez Percé]]. In 1919 he published a study of Maya calendrics giving a correlation between the Maya calendar and the gregorian calendar - a correlation which was nonetheless not widely accepted.<ref>Ruz Lhuillier, Alberto. "Herbert Joseph Spinden." Estudios de Cultura Maya 8.</ref>
⚫
[[File:Hebert_J_Spinden.jpg|thumb|Herbert J. Spinden from the archive of the American Museum of Natural History archaeology division.]]
'''Herbert Joseph Spinden''' (1879–1967) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist and art historian who specialized in the study of Native American cultures of the US and Mesoamerica.

==Biography==
Spinden was born in 1879 in Huron, a small settlement in the [[Dakota Territory]]. He later recalled that his early childhood was spent on the edge of civilization where his family lived in a sod hut with oiled paper covering the windows. Later they moved to Tacoma, Washington where he attended public schools. Before starting college he worked on railroad surveys in the Northwest and in 1900, a gold rush drew him to Nome, Alaska.{{sfn|Brunhouse|1975|p=94}}

Spinden started Harvard University in 1902 and studied anthropology and archaeology. In the summer of 1905 he and a fellow student excavated a [[Mandan]] village in North Dakota and studied the language and culture of that tribe. They published a paper on the topic in 1906, Spinden's first publication. After receiving an A.B. degree in 1906, he continued his studies at Harvard where he specialized in [[Mayan art]] under the direction of [[Alfred Tozzer]]. He received a doctorate degree in 1909 after submitting his thesis, ''A Study of Mayan Art'', which has been called a "brilliant analysis of the evolution of styles".{{sfn|Brunhouse|1975|pp=94-95}}

He then worked [[American Museum of Natural History]] where he undertook archaeological studies in Mexico and Central America. While working as an archaeologist in Central America he and [[Sylvanus G. Morley]] were among the American scientists gathering intelligence for the US Army.<ref name="browman" />

He then curated the collection of the [[Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology|Peabody Museum]] at Harvard, before taking museum positions in Brooklyn and Buffalo.{{sfn|Brunhouse|1975|p=95}} He also did ethnographic studies among the [[Nez Perce people|Nez Percé]]. In 1919 he published a study of Mayan calendrics giving a correlation between the Mayan calendar and the [[Gregorian calendar]] – a correlation which was nonetheless not widely accepted.<ref name="ruz" />

Spinden's first wife was archaeologist [[Ellen S. Spinden]]; they separated in 1938 and eventually divorced.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Browman |first=David |date=March 2010 |title=Founding 'Mothers' of the Society for American Archaeology |url=http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?m=7746&i=34758&view=articleBrowser&article_id=356057&ver=html5 |journal=SAA Archaeological Record |volume=10 |pages=31–33}}</ref> In 1948, Spinden married dancer [[Ailes Gilmour]]. They had a son, Joseph.<ref name="fulton" />

==Works==
*''The Ancient Civilisations of Mexico and Central America'', Handbook no. 3 (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1922)

==Notes==
⚫
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="browman">Browman, D. (2011). Spying by American Archaeologists in World War I. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 21(2).</ref>
<ref name="fulton">{{Cite news|url=http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%2010/Carmel%20NY%20Putnam%20Country%20Courier/Carmel%20NY%20Putnam%20Country%20Courier%201967%20Grayscale/Carmel%20NY%20Putnam%20Country%20Courier%201967%20Grayscale%20-%200482.pdf|title=Memorial Service for Dr. Spinden|date=October 26, 1967|work=Putnam County Courier, Carmel, N.Y.|access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="ruz">Ruz Lhuillier, Alberto. "Herbert Joseph Spinden." Estudios de Cultura Maya 8.</ref>
}}


==References==
==References==
*{{Cite book|first=Robert L. |last=Brunhouse|url=https://archive.org/details/pursuitofancient00brun|title=Pursuit of the Ancient Maya : Some Archaeologists of Yesterday.|date=1975|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|isbn=0-8263-0363-3|pages=92–128}}
⚫
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Librivox author |id=18303}}

{{American Anthropological Association presidents|state=collapsed}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinden, Herbert J.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinden, Herbert J.}}
Line 17: Line 48:
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Mesoamericanists]]
[[Category:20th-century Mesoamericanists]]
[[Category:People from Huron, South Dakota]]

Latest revision as of 20:12, 9 June 2024

Herbert J. Spinden from the archive of the American Museum of Natural History archaeology division.

Herbert Joseph Spinden (1879–1967) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist and art historian who specialized in the study of Native American cultures of the US and Mesoamerica.

Biography

[edit]

Spinden was born in 1879 in Huron, a small settlement in the Dakota Territory. He later recalled that his early childhood was spent on the edge of civilization where his family lived in a sod hut with oiled paper covering the windows. Later they moved to Tacoma, Washington where he attended public schools. Before starting college he worked on railroad surveys in the Northwest and in 1900, a gold rush drew him to Nome, Alaska.[1]

Spinden started Harvard University in 1902 and studied anthropology and archaeology. In the summer of 1905 he and a fellow student excavated a Mandan village in North Dakota and studied the language and culture of that tribe. They published a paper on the topic in 1906, Spinden's first publication. After receiving an A.B. degree in 1906, he continued his studies at Harvard where he specialized in Mayan art under the direction of Alfred Tozzer. He received a doctorate degree in 1909 after submitting his thesis, A Study of Mayan Art, which has been called a "brilliant analysis of the evolution of styles".[2]

He then worked American Museum of Natural History where he undertook archaeological studies in Mexico and Central America. While working as an archaeologist in Central America he and Sylvanus G. Morley were among the American scientists gathering intelligence for the US Army.[3]

He then curated the collection of the Peabody Museum at Harvard, before taking museum positions in Brooklyn and Buffalo.[4] He also did ethnographic studies among the Nez Percé. In 1919 he published a study of Mayan calendrics giving a correlation between the Mayan calendar and the Gregorian calendar – a correlation which was nonetheless not widely accepted.[5]

Spinden's first wife was archaeologist Ellen S. Spinden; they separated in 1938 and eventually divorced.[6] In 1948, Spinden married dancer Ailes Gilmour. They had a son, Joseph.[7]

Works

[edit]
  • The Ancient Civilisations of Mexico and Central America, Handbook no. 3 (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1922)

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Brunhouse 1975, p. 94.
  2. ^ Brunhouse 1975, pp. 94–95.
  3. ^ Browman, D. (2011). Spying by American Archaeologists in World War I. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 21(2).
  4. ^ Brunhouse 1975, p. 95.
  5. ^ Ruz Lhuillier, Alberto. "Herbert Joseph Spinden." Estudios de Cultura Maya 8.
  6. ^ Browman, David (March 2010). "Founding 'Mothers' of the Society for American Archaeology". SAA Archaeological Record. 10: 31–33.
  7. ^ "Memorial Service for Dr. Spinden" (PDF). Putnam County Courier, Carmel, N.Y. October 26, 1967. Retrieved May 30, 2018.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Herbert_Spinden&oldid=1228166890"