Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology facts for kids
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| Established | 1901 |
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| Location | Andover, Massachusetts |
| Type | Archaeological museum |
| Collections | Artifacts and materials from various indigenous cultures of the Americas |
| Founder | Robert Singleton Peabody |
The Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology is a special place in Andover, Massachusetts. It's a learning center and a collection of ancient objects. It used to be called the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology.
This institute started in 1901 thanks to a gift from Robert Singleton Peabody. He was a student who graduated from Phillips Academy in 1857. He loved archaeology and wanted to share his collection of Native American artifacts. Mr. Peabody hoped the institute would help young people get excited about science. He also wanted to teach everyone to respect and appreciate the Native American peoples. These groups have lived in North and South America for thousands of years.
The Peabody Institute has many important collections. These include items from different parts of the Americas. You can find artifacts from the Southwest, Northeast, Midwest, Mexico, Southeast, and the Arctic. These items show history from over 10,000 years ago, all the way up to today.
Contents
Discovering the Past: History of the Peabody Institute
The Robert S. Peabody Institute has been a key place for archaeological work since 1901. This includes digging up old sites, doing research, and sharing discoveries. Robert S. Peabody, a Phillips Academy graduate, created the museum. It was a home for his collection of about 38,000 artifacts. It was also a place where students could learn about archaeology.
Over the years, the institute has had a few different names. These include the Department of Archaeology and the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology. Today, it is known as the Robert S. Peabody Institute for Archaeology.
Early Explorers and Discoveries
Charles Peabody, Robert's son, was the first director. He started the institute's focus on research right away. In 1901, he led digs at Dorr Mound in Mississippi. He also worked at Jacobs Cavern in Missouri in 1903 and Bushy Cavern in Maryland in 1904. His team used an early version of the grid system for digging. This helped them find some of the first clear proof of humans living with animals that are now extinct. His report on Jacob's Cavern in 1904 began the museum's long history of research and publishing.
Warren K. Moorehead became a curator in 1901 and director in 1924. He led many digs across North America. From 1907 to 1938, he explored areas like the Arkansas River Valley and coastal Maine. His work at places like Etowah Indian Mounds, Hopewell, and the Cahokia Mounds added about 200,000 objects to the collection. These items are some of the most valuable early finds.
Moorehead also helped Native American communities. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt asked him to join the Board of Indian Commissioners. Moorehead looked into claims of fraud at the Annishinabe Reservation in Minnesota. He showed that companies were illegally taking reservation land. The museum has photos and gifts from the Annishinabe people. Their land was eventually returned.
Pioneering Archaeology in the Southwest
Between 1915 and 1929, A. V. Kidder dug at sites in New Mexico. He worked in the Pecos Valley and other parts of the American Southwest. Kidder is often called the "father of archaeology." This is because he showed how important digging in layers (stratigraphy) was in the Americas.
With other experts, Kidder's work helped create the first full timeline of Southwestern archaeology. Inspired by questions from Pecos, Carl Guthe and Elsie Clews Parsons studied modern Native American communities. They looked at Jemez and San Ildefonso Pueblos. This was one of the first times archaeologists used what they saw today to understand the past. The digs at Pecos found over 25,000 artifacts.
In 1927, Kidder held the first Pecos conference. This meeting, supported by the Peabody, started the idea of regional archaeology conferences.
New England and Beyond
Douglas S. Byers became the third director, and Fred Johnson was a curator. From 1938 to 1968, they were leaders in research. The Robert S. Peabody "Foundation for Archaeological Research" improved how artifacts were stored and displayed. They also updated publications. Their fieldwork focused on finding the history of layers in New England.
Fred Johnson was a pioneer in using different sciences to understand archaeology. He first used this approach for the Boylston Street Fishweir in 1939. Digs in the 1950s and 60s at Bull Brook and Debert sites studied very old human settlements. They used geology to understand the Ice Age. The team also did a lot of work in the Yukon and Mexico. These digs, plus gifts of private collections, added another 200,000 objects.
The Peabody hosted the first meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in 1935. Five years later, it started the Massachusetts Archaeological Society. In the 1950s, Fred Johnson helped connect archaeologists with Willard F. Libby. This led to the development of Carbon 14 dating for archaeological sites. The Peabody hosted conferences on radiocarbon dating in 1954 and 1956. Experts from many countries attended.
Understanding Agriculture's Origins
In 1968, Richard MacNeish became director. His major digs in Mexico, Peru, and Belize looked into how farming began. MacNeish found early corn and a timeline of pre-pottery cultures in Mexico. These discoveries gave important clues about how plants and animals were domesticated. They also showed how people started living in one place. His work is seen as one of the most important studies in 20th-century American archaeology.
MacNeish received many awards for his work. He was even elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1974. The museum keeps the special collections from his Tehuacan digs. It also has his personal papers, field notes, and photos.
Rebuilding and Renaming
After MacNeish left in 1983, the museum was quiet for a while. Then, James W. Bradley arrived in 1990. He renamed it the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology. He brought back the museum's research and teaching roles. He made sure Phillips Academy students used the museum's resources. He also started successful learning programs and brought back the Research Associate program.
Bradley worked to follow the NAGPRA law. This led to a national example of working with Native American tribes. His focus on managing collections and building relationships helped the museum become important again. He worked with Native communities, educators, and other museum experts.
In November 2017, the museum changed its name again. It became the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology. This new name better shows what the institution does. It also helps avoid confusion with other museums with similar names.
The Peabody Today
Today, Dr. Ryan Wheeler is the director. The Peabody continues to be a main teaching museum. It is an important learning resource for Phillips Academy and the wider community.
Exploring the Collections
The Robert S. Peabody Institute cares for artifacts, old documents, books, and images. These items are all about the native cultures of the Americas, both past and present. These materials show a century of archaeological fieldwork. Much of this work was cutting-edge science for its time. They also show the different interests of the Peabody directors and curators. The museum also has a small collection of very old European items. It also has some small collections from historical archaeology.
The Peabody's artifact collections are sorted into three groups:
- Research collections: These are used by experts for scholarly research.
- Education collections: These are used for teaching and learning.
- Comparative collections: These help compare different cultures and time periods.
The museum's archives, library, and image collections support the artifact collections. They are a resource for Phillips Academy, archaeologists, Native communities, and the public.
Who uses the Peabody collections?
- Phillips Academy students and teachers: They visit for classes, tours, and projects.
- Archaeologists and scholars: They use the collections for research, visits, and publications.
- Native communities: They use the collections for research and requests to return items. This is mainly connected to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
- Other groups: Members of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society and the public attend lectures and programs.
NAGPRA: Protecting Native American Heritage
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) became law in 1990. This law helps museums and federal agencies return certain items to Native American communities. These items include human remains, burial objects, sacred objects, and items important to a culture. The Peabody Museum fully follows the NAGPRA law for all culturally connected materials.
In 1999, the Peabody took part in the largest American repatriation at that time. This was done with the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University and the Pecos National Historic Park. Together, they returned about 2,000 sets of human remains. They also returned 1,020 burial and ceremonial objects to the Pueblo of Jemez. Most of the human remains were at Harvard's Peabody. The Robert S. Peabody Museum returned most of the artifacts.
These remains and objects came from sites in the Pecos Valley. These sites included Pecos Pueblo, Rowe Ruin, and others. A.V. Kidder dug at Pecos Pueblo from 1915 to 1929. The artifacts he found were sent to the Robert S. Peabody Museum and Harvard. This Pecos repatriation is still the largest single return of items in NAGPRA history. It has also created a lasting relationship between the Pueblo of Jemez, Pecos Pueblo National Historic Park, and the Robert S. Peabody Museum.
