Basket-Maker Caves of Northeastern Arizona: Report on the Explorations, 1916-17

Samuel James Guernsey was born in Dover, Maine in 1868. He attended seminary and art schools, and was long interested in Native American culture. Due to his artistic background, he was asked to prepare artistic renderings of Native American life for the Peabody Museum. From 1914 to 1931 Guernsey worked in the Southwest region of the United States, especially within Arizona, leading to several archeological discoveries, such as the Basket Maker memorials and graves in the Monument Valley region. This particular work details his findings from the Basket-Maker Caves. Guernsey wrote and researched nearly up until his death on May 23, 1936 while in Arlington, Massachusetts. Alfred Vincent Kidder was born on October 29, 1885, and considered to be one of the first professionally trained archeologists in the United States. He enjoyed the benefits of wealth that allowed him private schooling in the US and in Europe, along with multiple degrees from Harvard. This work is, in part, that of Kidder’s dissertation research, in which a team of researchers from the Peabody Museum, including Charles Amsden, were curated to research the region. Kidder’s approach was unique in that he wanted to develop archaeology as a multi-disciplinary field, and especially gravitated towards history in his work. He felt earth science, biology and medicine were also important components of creating well-founded research. Kidder went on to write voluminously, all while participating in excavations, particularly in Guatemala City. He died on June 11, 1963 at the age of 78. This new edition is dedicated to Felicia Campbell, scholar of many cultures.