Charles Abbott and the Trenton Gravels Reconsidered: Late Nineteenth-Century Exploration of Human Antiquity in the Americas.

  • Published In: Canadian Journal of Archaeology, 2023, v. 47, n. 2. P. 101 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Chazan, Michael 3 of 3

Abstract

The refutation of Charles Abbott's 1872 claim of having recovered Paleolithic artifacts in the Trenton Gravels is a key event in the early history of North American archaeology-- with particularly important implications for the archaeology of the Northeast. This article re-examines the historical record, along with a portion of the Abbott Collection at the University of Pennsylvania Museum (Penn Museum), to argue that the case against Abbott was flawed. Thus, rather than a triumph of scientific rigour over the bumbling of an amateur, the triumph of William Henry Holmes over Abbott was more an expression of the dynamics of the emerging academic discipline of archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Canadian Journal of Archaeology. 2023/12, Vol. 47, Issue 2, p101
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Anthropology
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0705-2006
  • DOI:10.51270/47.2.101
  • Accession Number:185972133
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