Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826
Thomas Jefferson, the Third President of
the United States and the author of the
Declaration
of Independence, was a scientist at heart. Although he made many
contributions to science as a whole, he set the stage for the methods used in
modern field archeology. With a "consuming interest in the Indians, Jefferson
had long been preoccupied with the puzzle of the mounds" (Bedini, 1990:103)
which had been discovered all over the east coast of the United States. It was
during the excavation of one of these mounds near the Rivanna River that
Jefferson discovered Native American remains. By using a methodical approach to
their exhumation and keeping detailed notes on where each bone was discovered
in the mound, he was able to come to certain conclusions as to what the mound
represented.
"[Thomas Jefferson] stressed the importance of basing conclusions on
observation and experiment" - Edwin Martin, 1952
Jefferson's description of his dig comes from his Notes on the State
of Virginia. From his records and the bones taken from the mound, Jefferson
tried to figure out exactly how many individuals were actually buried, the age
of the individuals, how long the bones had been buried and why they were in
this location (Padover, 1943:634-635). He was unable to answer all of these
questions, but he did make the contribution of the "principle of stratigraphy
in archeological excavation" (Bedini, 1990:105). These principles show that
those objects that lay above other objects were placed there later, barring
certain sorts of disruption which may confuse the site (and the person
performing the excavation).
See also - Jefferson's
Autobiography
References:
Bedini, Silvo A. Thomas Jefferson: Statesman of Science. New
York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990.
The Complete Jefferson., edited by Saul K. Padover. New York:
Duell, Sloan & Pearce, Inc., 1943.
Martin, Edwin T. Thomas Jefferson: Scientist. New York: Henry
Schuman, 1952.
Former Link,
http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/declaration/decmain.html
(September 2006)
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota
1999