![Camp Cibola headquarters 1888](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Camp_Cibola_headquarters_1888.jpg)
The Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition occurred between 1886 and 1894 in the
American Southwest
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...
. Sponsored by
Mary Tileston Hemenway
Mary Porter Tileston Hemenway (1820 – 6 March 1894) was an American philanthropist. She sponsored the Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition (1886-1894), the first of its kind to the American Southwest.
She also initiated a variety of ...
, a wealthy widow and philanthropist, the expedition was initially led by
Frank Hamilton Cushing
Frank Hamilton Cushing (July 22, 1857 in North East Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania – April 10, 1900 in Washington, D.C.) was an American anthropologist and ethnologist. He made pioneering studies of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico by enter ...
, who was replaced in 1889 by
Jesse Walter Fewkes
Jesse Walter Fewkes (November 14, 1850 – May 31, 1930) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, writer, and naturalist.
Biography
Fewkes was born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 14, 1850, and initially trained as a zoologist at H ...
. It was considered to be a major scientific archaeological expedition, notable for the discovery of the prehistoric
Hohokam
Hohokam () was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about ...
culture.
The expeditionary records held by Cushing were in storage until 1930.
Emil Haury
Emil Walter "Doc" Haury (May 2, 1904 in Newton, Kansas – December 5, 1992 in Tucson, Arizona) was an influential archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of the American Southwest.
He is most famous for his work at Snaketown, a Hohokam ...
, a
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
student, was the first to study these, and he published a
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
on
Pueblo de Los Muertos
Pueblo de Los Muertos ("City of the Dead") is a historical ruin in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located approximately west of Chandler. The large Hohokam settlement was situated within the southern Salado valley.
Geography
Los Muertos is ...
in 1945. The site had been investigated in detail by the Hemenway Expedition and dated to the
Hohokam culture
Hohokam () was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about ...
.
Background
Mary Tileston Hemenway
Mary Porter Tileston Hemenway (1820 – 6 March 1894) was an American philanthropist. She sponsored the Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition (1886-1894), the first of its kind to the American Southwest.
She also initiated a variety of ...
was a wealthy widow and philanthropist in New England who was impressed with
Frank Hamilton Cushing
Frank Hamilton Cushing (July 22, 1857 in North East Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania – April 10, 1900 in Washington, D.C.) was an American anthropologist and ethnologist. He made pioneering studies of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico by enter ...
's anthropological work studying the
Zuni Indians Zuni may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Zuni people, an indigenous people of the United States
* Zuni language, their language
Places
* Zuni, Virginia, an unincorporated town in Virginia in the United States
* Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, a ce ...
in northwestern New Mexico and his enthusiasm for further investigations. Her ambition was to establish a private museum in
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
based on archaeological finds, to be known as the Pueblo Museum, for the study of American Indians.
For this purpose she collaborated with Cushing to establish an expedition team with a board of directors to manage the operations. Cushing said that his ambition for the expedition was: “a rock of ages ... the foundation of something good and great for archeology and the sciences of humanity”. The expedition's agenda was to conduct archaeological and anthropological investigations in
Fort Wingate
Fort Wingate was a military installation near Gallup, New Mexico. There were two other locations in New Mexico called Fort Wingate: Seboyeta, New Mexico (1849–1862) and San Rafael, New Mexico (1862–1868). The most recent Fort Wingate (186 ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
and the
Salt River Valley
The Salt River Valley is an extensive valley on the Salt River in central Arizona, which contains the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Although this geographic term still identifies the area, the name "Valley of the Sun" popularly replaced the usage ...
, near
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
.
Personnel
* Cushing, the expedition's director, brought along his wife, Emily, and her sister, Margaret Magill, as artist.
*
Frederick Webb Hodge Frederick Webb Hodge (October 28, 1864 – September 28, 1956) was an American editor, anthropologist, archaeologist, and historian. Born in England, he immigrated at the age of seven with his family to Washington, DC. He was educated at America ...
was working as an executive assistant at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. Magill and Hodge fell in love and married in 1891.
* Sylvester Baxter, journalist and editor of the ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'', served as the expedition's secretary-treasurer.
*
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier (August 6, 1840March 18, 1914) was a Swiss-born American archaeologist who particularly explored the indigenous cultures of the American Southwest, Mexico, and South America. He immigrated to the United States wit ...
was a historian.
*
Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate served as the physical anthropologist.
*
Jesse Walter Fewkes
Jesse Walter Fewkes (November 14, 1850 – May 31, 1930) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, writer, and naturalist.
Biography
Fewkes was born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 14, 1850, and initially trained as a zoologist at H ...
, ethnologist who was chosen in 1889 to succeed Cushing as expedition leader.
* Charles A. Garlick, a former topographer with the
U.S. Geographical Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
, served as the field manager.
* Dr. Jacob Lawson Wortman, of the
Army Medical Museum, was to preserve any finds of skeletal remains.
* Army surgeon
Washington Matthews
Washington Matthews (June 17, 1843 – March 2, 1905) was a surgeon in the United States Army, ethnographer, and linguist known for his studies of Native American peoples, especially the Navajo.
Early life and education
Matthews was born in Ki ...
took care of the medical needs of the team.
Expedition
The expedition began in December 1886, departing from
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. It was the first of its kind undertaken in the American Southwest.
The expedition's main base, Camp Hemenway, was located in
Tempe, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Vale of Tempe
, image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg
, imagesize = 260px
, image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...
.
It established at least two other bases: Camp Baxter, Arizona and Camp Cibola, New Mexico.
In the summer of 1888, the expedition moved northeast to
Zuni, where Camp Cibola served as base camp. Hemenway's son,
Augustus Hemenway
Augustus Hemenway (1853–1931) was a philanthropist and public servant in Boston, Massachusetts, in the latter part of the 19th century. He was educated at Harvard University, the son of Edward Augustus Holyoke Hemenway and Mary Tileston Hemen ...
Jr., and the board of directors terminated Cushing's services in 1889. He had fallen ill but they also believed that his exploration methods were not systematic.
Jesse Walter Fewkes
Jesse Walter Fewkes (November 14, 1850 – May 31, 1930) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, writer, and naturalist.
Biography
Fewkes was born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 14, 1850, and initially trained as a zoologist at H ...
, an ethnologist and
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
classmate of August Hemenway Jr., was appointed as the new leader, though he lacked archeological experience.
When Mary Hemenway died in 1894, the board of directors terminated the expedition. It was then investigating the ethnological culture of the
Hopi
The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...
.
Archaeological finds
The expedition excavated hundreds of skulls, mostly
brachycephalic
Brachycephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek '' βραχύς'', 'short' and '' κεφαλή'', 'head') is the shape of a skull shorter than typical for its species. It is perceived as a desirable trait in some domesticated dog and cat breeds, ...
, from the ruins at
Las Acequias,
Los Guanacos, Los Muertos, and
Halonawan, near Zuni.
Aftermath
19th century
![Casa Grande](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Casa_Grande._The_Casa_Grande_from_the_northeast_ca_1890.jpg)
Suffering from illness and depression after losing his leadership position, Cushing published a few partial papers before his sudden death in 1900. His report manuscripts were unpublished. After Cushing's death, the Hodges retained his manuscripts.
Several members of the expedition team contributed to ''Hemenway Expedition Records, 1886–1914'', which was published in 1886. Bandelier published ''Copies Made Under A.F. Bandelier, a Member of the Hemenway Expedition, of Ancient Documents Existing in Mexico, Santa Fè, New Mexico, and Other Places in the Southwestern U.S.'', and ''Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition: Contributions to the History of the Southwestern Portion of the United States'' (1890).
Baxter's work, ''The Old New world: An account of the explorations of the Hemenway southwestern archæological expedition in 1887–88, under the direction of Frank Hamilton Cushing'', was published in 1883. while Fewkess ''Note Book on Hemenway Expedition'' was published in 1891. In 1893, Matthews, Wortman, and
John Shaw Billings
John Shaw Billings (April 12, 1838 – March 11, 1913) was an American librarian, building designer, and surgeon. However, he is best known as the modernizer of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office of the Army. His work with Andrew Carn ...
published ''The Human Bones of the Hemenway Collection in the United States Army Medical Museum at Washington (1893)''.
In 1895, the Hemenway family donated a box containing records and the expedition's artifacts to Harvard’s
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, with ...
.
20th century
The artifacts box remained unopened at the Peabody until the 1930s, when
Alfred Tozzer
Alfred Marston Tozzer (July 4, 1877 – October 5, 1954) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, linguist, and educator. His principal area of interest was Mesoamerican, especially Maya, studies. He was the husband of Margaret Castle Toz ...
asked a student,
Emil Haury
Emil Walter "Doc" Haury (May 2, 1904 in Newton, Kansas – December 5, 1992 in Tucson, Arizona) was an influential archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of the American Southwest.
He is most famous for his work at Snaketown, a Hohokam ...
, to do his dissertation on the contents. Haury’s report, published in 1945, was a
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
on ''La Pueblo de Los Muertos.''
It provided insight into the ancestral history of the Zuni and the development of the prehistoric
Hohokam culture
Hohokam () was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about ...
. Haury did not have access to the expedition's reports and manuscripts housed at the
Southwest Museum
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, above the north-western bank of the Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County) canyon and stream. The muse ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and the
Huntington Free Library in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Haury's monograph included a Foreword by Hodge. He surprisingly belittled the work of the expedition and demonstrated a lack of gratitude to his brother-in-law's memory. By taking Hodge on the expedition, Cushing had enabled him to gain field experience that later helped Hodge obtain a key position in 1905 at the Bureau of American Ethnology (now part of the Smithsonian Institution).
The full expedition report was not published for more than 100 years. Cushing's archival records, in the form of partial reports, diaries and field notes, had to be transcribed, researched, and annotated. Between 1991 and 2001, Hinsley, a cultural historian, and Wilcox, an archaeologist, examined the Hemenway records. They published their reports of the expedition in three volumes.
References
Bibliography
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External links
{{Authority control
Archaeological expeditions
Expeditions from the United States
History of the Southwestern United States
Native American history of Arizona
Native American history of New Mexico
Hohokam