Edward Herbert Thompson was born on September 28, 1856, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Edward was an American Anthropologist, although he never actually received training in anthropology, geology, or other related disciplines.
Edward's work as an anthropologist started in 1879, when he published his thoughts on how the Mayan culture could have originated from the continent of Atlantis. When the United States Consul of Merida, Mexico heard of him, they believed Edward could be very beneficial in studying Mayan remains, so they appointed him to his research on February 14, 1885.
Edward spent 40 years studying Mayan remains and their way of life in Mexico. During the time he spent there, Edward lived very closely with the Mayan Indians, learning their language, traditions, and religion. This was very beneficial to him, because as he established relationships with these people they were able to teach him their way of life and also the history of their culture. The Mayan people also played a key role in helping Edward with his excavations.
Edward is most famous for his work at the Sacred Well of Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza was a town that was located in the northern part of Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. Since there are not very many lakes or rivers in this part of Mexico, the main supply of water comes from natural wells or cenotes. Edward revealed that these wells were located in the center of the city and that the Mayan life revolved around them. As Edward studied the wells he uncovered skeletons and other archaeological remains at the bottom which he believed indicated that girls and warriors were sacrificed by being thrown into the wells alive.
Other areas of interest at Chichen Itza included pyramids, astronomical observations, a ceremonial court, and a temple, however, none of these subjects were as significant as the wells. After Edward had been researching in Chichen Itza for almost 40 years the Mexican government decided that they didn't approve of the work he was doing and he was forced to leave against his will.
After Edward got back to the United States he wrote about his research and investigations of the Maya culture in a book titled People of the Serpent published in 1932. Edward Thompson died in Plainfield, New Jersey, on May 11, 1935.
References:
Thompson, Edward Herbert. Britannica.com http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=74070&tocid=0. 4/22/01.
Thompson, Edward Herbert. Biography.com http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=20079. 4/22/01.
Funk. Wagnalls. Infopedia. CD-ROM. Funk and Wagnalls, Corp., 1994.
Written by Kimberly Zila
Edited by Marcy L. Voelker, 2007