Reflexive Archaeology: Interrogating an Early Archaeologist on an American Indian Sacred Landscape

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The roots of American archaeology trace back to 19th century investigations of American Indian mounds and earthworks. Many of the country’s prominent museums were founded on collections made during these early mound explorations. However, most of these collections lack provenience and provenance. Warren K. Moorehead’s work at Hopewell Mound Group in modern Ross County, Ohio is among the most influential of these early expeditions. The incompleteness of his records, like those of most 19th and early 20th century American excavators, hinders the NAGPRA process, the ability of American Indian Nations to reconnect and reclaim ancestors and funerary objects taken during these excavations. This paper uses historical archaeology to better contextualize material conditions and operations of Moorehead’s “Camp Hopewell,” field headquarters for the 1891-1892 excavations. A focus on the point of acquisition and earliest curatorial processes may help Indigenous peoples navigate the tumult caused by historic collectors known as early “archaeologists.”

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology