The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-05-17
American Archaeology.
By Frederick J. Haskin

be temporary check to the develop
ment of American archaeology. Unless
this country is invaded, it is quite prob
now In progress in New Mexico and
Arizona will be carried or, but it is ex-
pected that all other sites will be aban-
doned.
Europe has always been intensely in
terested in the excavation of lis past.
The government of the various countries
have been liberal in their contributions
of archaeological expeditions all over
the world. England, France and Ger
many have for years maintained schools
of archaeological research at Rome and
Athens and the Holy Land, which are
still fertile grounds of exploration.
1t may be added parenthetically that
this study of the past has resulted in
the excavation of many spurious articles
which have succeeded IN deceiving
others than Americans. There is a
story about German peasant who was
made baron by the Kaiser for his dis
covery of primitive kind of oven de-
clared to have been used by the early
Teutons, after which he proceeded to
discover seven of them. The seventh
proved too much for contemporary
archaeologists however, who conducted
some discoveries of their own. They
found that the newly created baron had
manufactured all the ovens in his own
kitchen.
But to return to America archaeology.
In the year 1879, a group Of men, head
ed by Charles Eliot Norton, met in
Boston and decided that something
should be done at once to promote cul-
ture in the United States. People, they
declared, were money-mad and culture
limited to very few.
DR.. Norton and his colleagues found
ed the American Archaeological! Insti-
tute. 1t might be expected that the
primary purpose of such an institute
would be archaeology but, according to
its founder it was not. The real OBJ
ject of the Archaeological Institute. "
he says, lis to strengthen the hands
and hearts of those who hold to America
which shall be intellectually and morally
not less great than she is materially.
In the foundation of the institute we
thought Of it as an effort to resist the
flood of vulgarity and barbaric luxury
brought in by the rapid and enormous
increase of wealth then beginning to
oYerwhelm the country. We viewed 1t
as more than an undertaking to dig up
buried cities and to consider the condi-
ton of prehistoric barbarians. We
therefore laid the foundation of the In
stitute that it might contribute to the
higher culture of the country"
There are now forty-two archaeo-
logicalsocieties in various cities through
out the country, affiliated under the
American Archaeological Institute,
which has it's headquarters in Washing
ton. Every year representatives. from
each society come to Washington to out
line an archaeological campaign for the
following year The scope of the Insti-
tute is very broad. Following the ex-
ample of England and France, it has
established schools of archaeology in
Athens, Rome and the Holy Land,
which have accomplished praiseworthy
results. Unfortunately, the war has
interfered with some of the work in
these places, and the Institute has
therefore withdrawn the majority of its
explorers to assist in excavating the
prehistoric ruins of the Southwest and
of Guatemala.
The scholarships ia these schools of
archaeology, as we'll as the establish
ments themselves, are maintained part
ly by the annual dues of members and
partly by contributions from American
universities and colleges. In addition
to the schools, the Institutes also man.
ages lecture course, in which noted
lecturers make the circuit of the vari-
GUS societies and speak on subjects of
archaeological interest, and it also edits
very excellent magazine called art
and Archaeology. The latter is in
cluded in the price of membership,
which is ten dollars year. The pay
ment of one hundred dollars at one time
makes one life member, while five
hundred dollars is the cost of becoming
patron, which is considered quite a
distinction.
In 1907, the institute opened school
of archaeology in Santa Fe. By this
time it was realized that America, as
well as Europe, had prehistoric age to
be uncovered. Since then, constant
excavation has been carried on in the
Southwest and also in Central America,
with view to studying the habits and
culture of early Indian tribes which
roamed the continent before us.
The ancient civilizations of the
Aztecs and Pueblos have been b rought
to light through the efforts of American
archaeologists, and the rites and rituals
of the various Indian tribes, with their