Hannah Marie Wormington facts for kids

Hannah Marie Wormington (born September 5, 1914 – died May 31, 1994) was an American archaeologist. She was famous for her work and writings about ancient people in the American Southwest and early Native Americans (called Paleo-Indians). Her career lasted nearly 60 years!

Early Life and Education

Marie Wormington was born in Denver, Colorado. Her parents were Charles Watkin Wormington and Adrienne Roucolle. When she was young, Marie spent a lot of time with her mother and her grandmother, who had moved to the United States from France. Because she spoke both English and French fluently, it helped her when she started her archaeology career in France.

Marie was the first woman to focus on anthropology at Radcliffe College. While studying for her Ph.D. at Harvard, one professor asked her to sit outside the classroom to take notes because she was a woman.

Before getting her Ph.D., Marie already had a successful career in anthropology. It began in 1935 after she earned her first degree (a B.A.) in Anthropology from the University of Denver. At first, she was interested in medicine and zoology. But she changed to archaeology after taking classes with E. B. Renaud. He focused on the Stone Age in France. He believed that ancient stone tools found in the New World (the Americas) were similar to those found in other parts of the world. Renaud suggested that Marie travel to France to do research.

Her College Degrees

• She earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Denver in 1935.
• She earned an M.A. in Anthropology from Radcliffe College in 1950.
• She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Radcliffe (Harvard University) in 1954.

Starting Her Career

Marie jump-started her career by connecting with Dorothy Garrod in London. Garrod became a mentor to Marie. She introduced Marie to important archaeologists working in Paris, like Harper Pat Kelley and Henri Martin.

While working with Kelley, Marie was allowed to borrow ancient tools found in Europe. She used them for her studies at the Denver Museum. Martin insisted that Marie join the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) digs happening at Dordogne, France. Marie even spent her 21st birthday doing archaeological work there!

After returning to Denver, she was hired at the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now called the Denver Museum of Nature & Science). She worked in the anthropology department until 1968, serving as a curator for 33 years. Because she was a leading expert on Paleo-Indian studies, the museum became very well-known in that field.

While working at the museum, and before getting her advanced degrees, Marie wrote two important books: Ancient Man in North America and Prehistoric Indians of the South West.

Important Books

• Ancient Man in North America was the first complete collection of information about early human life in North America during the Ice Age (Pleistocene) and early Holocene periods. This book was updated more than ten times and became a classic in Paleo-Indian archaeology. It gave a whole generation of archaeologists a deep summary of research.
• Prehistoric Indians in the South West also had several updates. It was a standard textbook in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After this book, she helped create an exhibit at the museum called “Hall of Man.”

In 1940, Marie married George D. Volk, who was a geologist. But she chose to keep her maiden name, Wormington. During World War II, Marie took time off from the museum to travel with Volk until he was sent overseas. Then she returned to the museum. George Volk passed away in 1980 after 40 years of marriage. He supported Marie's career by helping with her digs, like building screens and fixing shovels.

Archaeological Work

In 1936, Marie Wormington began cataloging all the artifacts from the Lindenmeier site in Colorado. This was at the Colorado Museum of Natural History. The Lindenmeier site is one of the first Paleo-Indian camps ever excavated. The tools found there were often linked to ancient bison that are now extinct. Marie was in charge of comparing these artifacts with similar ones found in Europe.

While working at the museum, Marie also started her own research. She worked at the Montrose Rock Shelters and the Johnson site in Colorado. She also took part in excavations at the Fremont village site in Utah. The research from the Fremont site helped Marie conclude that the Fremont culture came from the ancient Desert Culture of the Great Basin.

Throughout her time at the Colorado Museum of Natural History, Marie helped and advised on many famous Paleo-Indian sites in the New World. During these years, Hannah Marie Wormington became a close friend and mentor to many young archaeologists. These included Cynthia Irwin Williams and her brother Henry Irwin. Marie, as they called her, always encouraged them to ask questions and follow a career in anthropology.

Key Excavation Sites

Marie Wormington worked at or advised on many important archaeological sites:

• 1935: Dordogne, France
• 1936: Montrose Rock Shelter, Colorado
• 1936: Johnson site (a small Folsom camp), La Porte, Colorado
• 1939 to 1948: Turner ranch, Utah (for her doctoral research)
• 1953: Advised on a mammoth excavation in the Valley of Mexico
• 1955: Advised on human remains found near Turin, Iowa
• 1955 and 1956: Studied ancient hunter migration routes in Alberta, Canada
• 1960: Frazier Agate Basin site; and with Joe Ben Wheat at the Jurgens Cody site in Weld County, Colorado
• 1963: Advised on excavations at Onion Portage, Alaska

After working at the museum until 1968, Marie Wormington became a popular visiting professor and lecturer at several universities. She taught at Arizona State University from 1968 to 1969. Then she returned to Colorado and taught at Colorado College (1969–1970). After a three-year break, Marie taught at the University of Minnesota in 1973. She also worked as an adjunct professor at Colorado College until 1986.

Achievements and Awards

In 1968, the same year she left the Denver museum, Marie Wormington made history. She was the first female archaeologist to be elected president of the Society for American Archaeology. She had already served as vice president twice (1950–51, 1955–56).

Her achievements include:

• 1970: Awarded a Guggenheim fellowship, which helps people do important research.
• 1977: Awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree from Colorado State University.
• 1983: The Society of American Archaeology gave her the Distinguished Service Award. She was the first female archaeologist to receive this honor.
• 1985: Awarded the Colorado Archaeology Society C.T. Hurst award for her important role in Colorado Archaeology.
• 1985: Inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.
• 1988: Awarded another honorary doctor of letters degree from Colorado College.
• 1988: Appointed curator emeritus (a special title for retired curators) of the Denver Museum of Natural History.

Steve Cassels, a writer, said that "Just as Margaret Mead did in cultural anthropology, Marie has paved the way for women in archaeology." He noted that she succeeded despite facing different levels of unfair treatment throughout her career.

Later Life

Marie Wormington passed away in her home in Denver on May 31, 1994.

Selected Books

Marie Wormington wrote many important books and papers. Here are some of her well-known books:

• 1939: Ancient Man in North America
• 1947: Prehistoric Indians of the Southwest
• 1955: A Reappraisal of the Freemont Culture, with a Summary of the Archaeology of the Northern Periphery.
• 1965: An Introduction to the Archaeology of Alberta, Canada (with Richard Forbis)

See also

In Spanish: Hannah Marie Wormington para niños