Gus Van Beek papers
name: label: Creator
content: Van Beek, Gus W. (Gus Willard), 1922-
label: Names
content: Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology
place: label: Place
content: Arabian Peninsula
label: Place
content: Hajar Āl Ḥumayd
label: Place
content: Ḥaḍramawt (Yemen : Province)
label: Place
content: Maʻrib (Yemen)
label: Place
content: Tunisia
label: Place
content: Yemen
label: Place
content: Egypt
topic: label: Topic
content: Archeological excavations
label: Topic
content: Dead sea scrolls
label: Topic
content: Museum exhibits
label: Topic
content: Archaeology
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.
creator: label: Creator
content: Van Beek, Gus W. (Gus Willard), 1922-
abstract: label: Summary
content: This collection consists of the professional papers of Dr. Gus Van Beek, Curator of Old World Archaeology, Division of Archaeology, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution. Included is the overall body of field logs and notebooks, correspondence, administrative work, research for and about exhibits, photographs, drawings, work on a variety of Departmental committees, and work leading toward the publication of a number of manuscripts and papers. These materials cover roughly the period from 1959 when Dr. Van Beek was hired as an Associate Curator in the Department until 2008 when he actively ceased work in his office at NMNH.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: March 21, 1922 -- Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma

1943 -- Bachelor of Arts with honors from University of Tulsa 

1945 -- Bachelor of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago

1947-49 -- Louis J. and Mary E. Horowitz Christian Fellow, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati

1951 -- Field research with the American Foundation for the Study of Man at Hajar Bin Humeid, Wadi Beihan, East Aden Protectorate, Arabia

1952 -- Archeological Fellow, American Schools of Oriental Research, Jerusalem, Jordan. Completed field research in the cities of Jericho, Qumran and Dhiban, Jordan.

1953 -- Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Archaeology, History and Semitic Languages from the John Hopkins University

1959-1967 -- Associate Curator, Old World Archeology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

1961-62 -- Intensive archaeological reconnaissance field research in Wadi Hadhramaut and East Aden Protectorate [South Yemen]

1962-65 -- Worked on Hall 26: Old World Archeology permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

1964 -- Archaeological reconnaissance in Yemen and Axum

1965 -- Producing curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

1966-67 -- Completed archaeological survey of early Phoenician sites in Tunisia

1967-[2008] -- Curator, Old World Archeology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

1967 -- Field research to survey Tigre Province, Ethiopia and the Beq'a of Lebanon

1967 -- Curator of the Tunisian Mosaic Exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

1968 -- Archaeological survey of Wadi Negran, Saudi Arabia

1968 -- Guest Curator of the South Arabian Art Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

1969 -- Surveyed sites in Israel for possible excavation

1969 -- Curator of the Masada Exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

1970-78 -- Organized and directed major archaeological excavations at Tel Jemmeh, Israel. [Annually]

1972 -- Producing Curator of the Arabia Felix exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

1982 -- Directed excavation at Tell Jemmeh and researched terre pise, pise de terre construction in Morocco

1984 -- Excavation at Tel Jemmeh to increase the area of the 10th-9th centuries B.C. exposure

1987 -- Excavation at Tel Jemmeh

1989 -- Researched mud construction in Madras, Pondicherry and Kerala, Indian and in Punjab, Pakistan to determine if highland mud construction was sufficiently adapted environmentally to justify intensive study

1989 -- Researched mud construction (adobe) in Sante Fe, Abiquiu and Taos, New Mexico to compare construction methods and design elements with those of the Middle East

1990 -- Investigated layered mud construction and design in vicinity of Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan and directed small excavation at Tel Jemmeh

1991 -- Field research in vicinity of Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan; Gujarat State, India and across newly unified Yemen

1992 -- Advised the Israel Antiquities Authority on mud construction

1994 -- Field research in eastern architecture in Syria

1995 -- Participated in Adobe Workshop, sponsored by New Mexico State Monuments and J. Paul Getty Conversation organization

1997 -- Research on rammed earth (terre pise) construction and design in Dauphine Province, France and in the states of Hesse, Baden, and Wurtemburg, Germany

1999 -- Research on minimizing earthquake damage in ancient mud brick construction at Tel Rehov in the Jordan Valley, Israel
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 53.5 Linear feet (106 document boxes 6 record storage boxes and 4 small boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1959-2008
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.2008-28
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Papers
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Contact prints
label: Type
content: Reports
label: Type
content: Photocopies
label: Type
content: Grant proposals
label: Type
content: Negatives (photographic)
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Press releases
label: Type
content: Speeches
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Drafts (documents)
label: Type
content: Newsletters
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Memorandums
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Resumes
label: Type
content: Reviews (documents)
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Type
content: Exhibit scripts
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is organized into 8 series: 1) Correspondence; 2) South Arabia; 3) Exhibits; 4) Publications; 5) Administrative; 6) Photographs; 7) Vertical file.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The papers of Dr. Gus Van Beek were received partially organized. The processing archivist kept existing groupings. Original folder titles were retained, titles in brackets were provided by the archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Papers
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Contact prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Reports
label: Genre/Form
content: Photocopies
label: Genre/Form
content: Grant Proposals
label: Genre/Form
content: Negatives (photographic)
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Press releases
label: Genre/Form
content: Speeches
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Drafts (documents)
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsletters
label: Genre/Form
content: Articles
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Memorandums
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Resumes
label: Genre/Form
content: Reviews (documents)
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Genre/Form
content: Exhibit scripts
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection consists of the professional papers of Dr. Gus Van Beek, Curator of Old World Archaeology, Division of Archaeology, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution. Included is the overall body of field logs and notebooks, correspondence, administrative work, research for and about exhibits, photographs, drawings, work on a variety of Departmental committees, and work leading toward the publication of a number of manuscripts and papers. These materials cover roughly the period from 1959 when Dr. Van Beek was hired as an Associate Curator in the Department until 2008 when he actively ceased work in his office at NMNH. 

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: See also Gus Van Beek's papers related to the Tel Jemmeh expedition.