Overview
Walter A. Fairservis Jr. was an authority on ancient civilizations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China. The papers include expedition records, journals, manuscript and research materials and correspondence spanning Fairservis' professional career.
Dates
- Creation: 1909 - 1994
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1946 - 1994
Conditions Governing Access
Restrictions on access: None
Conditions Governing Use
Restrictions on use: None
Extent
40 linear feetPapers include: class notes, doctoral dissertation files, expedition records (field notes, correspondence, reports and photographs), maps, object photos, drawings, financial records, grant applications, manuscripts, drafts, course material, study files, site cards, illustrations and oversize material.
Biographical Sketch
Walter A. Fairservis Jr. was an authority on the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China. Born in Brooklyn in 1921, Fairservis traveled throughout the United States with his mother, an actress. He received B.A. and M.A. degrees in anthropology from Columbia University and a second M.A. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
For many years Fairservis was associated with the American Museum of Natural History in New York where he first volunteered in 1941. In 1949 Fairservis led the first American archaeological expedition to Afghanistan where he discovered a long forgotten imperial city. In 1960 Fairservis led an expedition to Pakistan and discovered a large ceremonial complex which shed new light on the prehistoric Harappan civilization.
Throughout his professional career, Fairservis was associated with various institutions, including the Peabody Museum (Harvard), the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania and the Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum in Seattle. In 1969 he accepted the position of department head in anthropology at Vassar College and he taught at Vassar through 1993.
Publications include: The Roots of Ancient India (1969)The Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile and the Doomed Monuments of Nubia (1962) Cave Paintings of the Great Hunters (1959) The Harrapan Civilization and Its Writing: A Model for the Decipherment of the Indus Script (1992) The Archaeology of the Southern Gobi -- Mongolia (1993) Excavations at the Harappan site of Allahdino : the seals and other inscribed material (1976) South Asian Archaeology Studies (1993)
Sources:
- "Obituaries: Walter A. Fairservis, 73 Dies; Was Archaeologist and Author," New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/16/obituaries/walter-a-fairservis-73-dies-was-archeologist-and-author.html?pagewanted=1
Physical Location
Peabody Museum Archives
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These papers are a gift of Jan Bell Fairservis 2004.
Separated Materials
Part of the collection was deaccessioned to Vassar College in January 2007. The finding aid for the Vassar College Collection can be located here:
https://specialcollections.vassar.edu/collections/manuscripts/findingaids/fairservis_walter.html
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:
Heidi J. Miller May 2005; edited by India Spartz, Associate Archivist, 2007 and Patricia H. Kervick, Associate Archivist; 2010.
- Title
- Fairservis, Walter A., Jr. (1921-1994) Papers, bulk, 1949-1993: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Peabody Museum Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- pea00060
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.