Overview
The records contain the correspondence of Robert James Burkitt from 1892 to 1896 and pertain to Burkitt's involvement with the Peabody Museum Honduras Expedition to Copan.
Dates
- Creation: 1892-1896 (inclusive)
Conditions Governing Access
Restrictions on access: none
Conditions Governing Use
Restrictions on use: none
Extent
1 collection (.1 linear foot; (1 folder, 8 letters and 1 poem))The records contain one folder of the correspondence of Robert Burkitt (1892-1896). The subjects of the files include Robert Burkitt's involvement with the Peabody Museum Honduras Expedition to Copan of 1894-1895. Also included in the file is a poem by Henry Collins Walsh eulogizing the death of John Owens on 2/23/1892.
Biographical Sketch
Robert James Burkitt (b. January 18, 1869; d. February 17, 1945) graduated from Harvard in 1891, where he had formed a strong friendship with George Byron Gordon, the latter, director of the Penn Museum. After graduation Gordon went to Central America while Burkitt remained in Boston. In 1895, Burkitt joined his friend Gordon in Honduras to help with the Peabody Museum Copan Excavations. Having no formal training in archaeology, Burkitt dug trenches, unearthed artifacts, learned the nuances of photography, and learned how to properly take mold impressions. At the end of June of 1895, Gordon returned to Cambridge, while Burkitt, who was captivated by the country and culture, decided to remain in Central America. Having a strong talent for languages and a keen interest in the native groups of Guatemala, Burkitt prided himself in learning the Kekchi language better than any other foreigner. For the rest of his life Burkitt worked on creating a grammar and dictionary of the language.
Sources:
- Danien, Elin. " Send MeMr. Burkitt...Some Whisky and Wine: Early Archaeology in Central America" in Expedition: The University Museum Magazine of Archaeology/Anthropology, University ofPennsylvania. vol. 27, no. 3. 1985.
Physical Location
Peabody Museum Archives
Immediate Source of Acquisition
# 994-4
These papers were separated from the Museum's accession files and transferred to Archives in 1994. They were originally donated by Deborah Webster Rogers.
General note
Collections records may contain language, reflecting past collecting practices and methods of analysis, that is no longer acceptable. The Peabody Museum is committed to addressing the problem of offensive and discriminatory language present in its database. Our museum staff are continually updating these records, adding to and improving content. We welcome your feedback and any questions or concerns you may want to share.
Processed by:
Emily Nazarian, Boston University work study student; November 2009 edited by Patricia H. Kervick, Associate Archivist; November 2009
- Title
- Burkitt, Robert James, (1869-1945) Papers, 1892-1896, inclusive: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Peabody Museum Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- pea00051
Repository Details
Part of the Peabody Museum Archives Repository
Papers in the Peabody Museum Archives consist of primary source materials that document the Museum’s archaeological and ethnographic research and fieldwork since its founding in 1866. More than 2,800 feet of archival paper collections contain documents, papers, manuscripts, correspondence, data, field notes, maps, plans, and other historical records that represent diverse peoples from around the world, and which were created or collected by the Museum, its individual affiliates, or related entities. The collections also document the history or provenience, as well as the creation of, many of the Museum’s archaeological and ethnographic collections.