Raphael Pumpelly was born in Owego, New York in 1873 and was an explorer, author and a geologist. He was schooled at the Owego Academy and at the age of 17 he decided against attending Yale University, choosing to travel to Europe instead Pumpelly began his scientific and geological training at the Royal School of Mines in Freiberg, Saxony, Germany and graduated in 1859. Pumpelly held a range of geological jobs, from directing silver mine development in Arizona to consulting with the Japanese government .
Pumpelly was considered one of the most illustrious geologists and mineralogists of his day. He made the first extensive survey of the Gobi Desert in 1864-1865, which was one of the first professionaland scientific geological works ever completed in China. It was done privately with no organizational affiliation or government backing.
Pumpelly returned to the United States after the U.S. Civil War had passed and was appointed the first Professor of Mining at Harvard University in 1866. He held the post for several years (1866-1875), during which time he married Eliza Frances Shepard on October 20, 1869. She accompanied him on an expedition to Asia in 1904.
A resident of Newport, Rhode Island for 44 years, Professor Pumpelly arrived in 1879 and was appointed the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, New England branch in 1884. Along with his geological accomplishments, Pumpelly also discovered Anau, a village in southern Turkmenistan. Located 5 miles southeast of Ashgabat near the Iranian border, he discovered remnants of a civilization dating back to circa 4500 B.C. during a 1903 expedition-- conducted when he was 65 years old. At a time when many people were focused on Mesopotamia and Egypt as centers of civilization (not to mention settling in their careers), Pumpelly chose to work as an archaeologist in Asia instead.
Pumpelly passed away with his daughter and son present at the age of 86 on August 10, 1923 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Redwood Library and Athenaeum
2004 Raphael Pumpelly. Electronic document, http://www.redwood1747.org/notables/pumpelly.htm, accessed November 5, 2007.Wheeler, Mary
2005 Back to the Source: A Modern-Day Archaeologist Digs Deep in Central Asia and Excavates a Hero. Huntington Frontiers, Fall/Winter. Electronic document, http://www.huntington.org/Information/frontiers/F05backtosource.htm, accessed November 5, 2007.
Edited by: Emily Hildebrant, 2007