Hermann Berendt and Charles Rau: Notes on the Origin of Maya Archaeological Collections during the 19th Century

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The study of correspondence, field notes, catalogs and other archival documents has contributed important information to understand the history of some of the first Maya archaeological collections in the United States and Europe. The field and lab work developed by pioneering explorers and researchers, such as Hermann Berendt (1817-1878) and Charles Rau (1826-1887), among others, contributed to the establishment of the methodological foundations of the archaeological discipline with the application of a systematic methodology of classification and study of diverse materials coming from the Maya region. The collaboration established with prominent local figures, such as the Yucatecan bishop Crescencio Carrillo y Ancona or the collector Florentino Jimeno, allowed them to be part of the circle of intellectuals who promoted the study of languages, antiquities and the formation of collections dedicated to archaeological research. This is the case of the first collections of Maya artifacts acquired by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the Smithsonian Institution of Washington, whose study will allow us to rescue unpublished information about the sites explored during the second half of the 19th century and their material legacy.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24996