The archeology of William Henry Holmes. David J. Meltzer and Robert C. Dunnell (Editors), 1992, Smithsonian Institution Press, L + 397 pp., $34. 95 (paperbound)

✍ Scribed by Vance T. Holliday

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 137 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0883-6353
• DOI: 10.1002/gea.3340080408

✦ Synopsis

The name William Henry Holmes probably elicits little recognition among most geoarchaeologists today. His work is more widely known and appreciated in archaeology. As Meltzer and Dunnell point out, he has left a considerable intellectual legacy in archaeological practice and theory. The editors also show, however, that Holmes was a pioneer in the integration of geology and archaeology (also noted, from an expressly geologic perspective, by Gifford and Rapp, 1985). In his work, Holmes emphasized geologic processes based on observation, careful stratigraphic excavation and recording, and the importance of association. In particular, Holmes established the bases for modern investigations of lithic and ceramic technologies. He was not a dabbler in geoarchaeology-he actively practiced the integration of natural science, largely earth science, and the scientific method in archaeology. Indeed, he taught courses at the University of Chicago variously labeled "anthropic geology" and "archaeologic geology" (probably the first such courses anywhere) and was editor of these topics for the first 2 decades of Journal of Geology.

The Archaeology of William Henry Holmes is an excellent introduction to his work and ideas. The volume is one in a series of "Classics of Smithsonian Anthropology" from Smithsonian Institution Press. Meltzer and Dunnell chose four of Holmes's many articles to illustrate his contributions to archaeological method and theory, articles "that forever changed the character of American archaeology" (p. xxxii). The volume opens with a lengthy (L pages!) but lucid and enlightening introduction by the editors. A significant component of this section is a biographical sketch of Holme's life. The sketch is followed by a discussion of Holmes's theoretical approach to archaeology and then an introduction to the reprinted articles.

Holmes's professional career began as an illustrator at the Smithsonian Institution. His remarkable abilities soon involved him as a n artist in the Hayden surveys of the West from 1872 until 1879. In their opening sentence, Meltzer and Dunnell (p. vii), quoting from Goetzmann (1966, p. 5121, point out that Holmes is regarded as "perhaps the greatest artist-topographer and man of many talents that the West ever produced." Holmes went on to work for the newly founded U.S.G.S. (1880-18891, where he also began involvement in archaeological pursuits, and then to the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) (1889-1892). He spent the years 1892-1897 associated with the University of Chicago where he offered "archaeologic geology" to students. He returned to Washington, D.C. in 1897 and served in various positions with the Smithsonian and BAE until 1932. He died in 1933.

The Hayden surveys trained Holmes in geology and introduced him to archaeology. During this work he began to develop his interest in lithic analysis, in particular the study of quarries. His interest in and knowledge of lithic technology (which included much experimentation) led to his investigation of the "American Paleolithic," perhaps his best-known archaeological legacy. This work also is his best-known geoarchaeological legacy (e.g., Gifford and Rapp, 1985), but in Holmes's day there was no distinction between archaeology and geoarchaeology. Good archaeology included geology, a point that becomes apparent after reading the Introduction. Holmes's work was largely responsible for debunking the American Paleolithic by the turn of the century. His tenure at the BAE also led to his work in ceramic technology and classification.