Phyllis Morse facts for kids

Phyllis Morse (born Anderson in 1934) is an American archaeologist. She has spent her career studying ancient cultures, especially in the southeastern United States.

Her Life and Work

Phyllis Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1934. She finished high school in Crystal Lake, Illinois, in 1952. She became very interested in archaeology while studying anthropology at the University of Michigan. In the 1950s, it was unusual for many women to attend university, and even more so for them to choose a field like archaeology.

Phyllis met her future husband, Dan F. Morse, because of a rule. At the time, she wasn't allowed to be the only woman working in an archaeological field team. However, she was allowed to be a lab assistant for the Etowah Indian Mounds dig in 1958, where Dan was also working. They were both chosen by their professor, Dr. James Bennett Griffin.

Phyllis and Dan Morse were a unique team in archaeology. They were one of the few married couples who both worked as archaeologists throughout their careers. They often brought their three sons along on their digs! They explored many parts of the southeastern U.S.

Working in Arkansas

The Morses spent 30 years (from 1967 to 1997) in northeast Arkansas. They worked at the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s station at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. All their hard work led to a major book they wrote together called Archaeology of the Central Mississippi Valley.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Phyllis Morse did a lot of research for the Arkansas Archeological Survey. This included work at the Zebree site. She also taught classes at Arkansas State University and helped museums with their exhibits.

In 1978, Phyllis Morse received a special grant to work at the Parkin site. This research led to an important report in 1981. Besides archaeology, she also started a business called Possum Antiques in 1979. She still enjoys selling antiques and books today. She was also involved in several other groups, like the League of Women Voters and the Midwest Tool Collectors Association. She even helped design exhibits for museums like the Memphis Pink Palace Museum and the Memphis Mud Island Museum.

Important Archaeological Sites

Phyllis Morse worked on many important sites. Two of the most well-known are Parkin and Zebree.

• Parkin: This site is in northeast Arkansas. It was once a large village of the Mississippian culture, an ancient American Indian group. The way the village was built and the pottery found there are so special that they helped name a whole period of time in archaeology. Many historians believe that the famous explorer Hernando de Soto and his team visited this site in 1541.

• Zebree: This was a big "salvage" archaeology project in Arkansas. A "salvage" dig happens when archaeologists have to quickly dig up and save artifacts from a site that is about to be destroyed, often by construction. The Zebree site was an early Mississippian village. Phyllis A. Morse was in charge of processing all the artifacts in the lab. She also helped edit the final report about the project.

Her Impact and Recognition

Phyllis and Dan Morse are highly respected in the world of archaeology. When they retired, a special collection of essays was published to honor their amazing contributions to Arkansas archaeology. These essays showed how much their colleagues admired their wide-ranging and important work.

In 2005, Phyllis and Dan Morse received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southeastern Archaeological Conference. This award recognized their many years of dedication and discoveries.

The Quapaw tribe also honored them when they retired. The tribe gave them colorful tribal blankets. This was a way to thank the Morses for their careful and respectful work on the burial mounds of the tribe's ancestors.