Date Original
1881-1884
Description
This collection contains the field notes of archeologist, ethnobotanist, and botanist, Edward Palmer, who visited Arkansas in the 1880s. These notes encompass locations of different mounds, lists of artifacts and skeletal remains found in the mounds and their descriptions, who owned the property at the time of excavation, and hypotheses on the usage of the mounds. Palmer describes the local communities that he comes in connect with throughout Arkansas, including the treatment and behavior of black Arkansan. Palmer briefly mentions the Chinese-Americans that were living in Arkansas in the 1880s. One photocopy sketch of Native mounds from the twelfth annual report to the Bureau of Ethnology.
Biographical/Historical Note
Edward Palmer was a British botanist and archaeologist who toured the southeastern United States as an agent for the Smithsonian Institution the 1880s, locating and excavating Indian mounds. He examined the Toltec mounds, also known as the Knapp Mounds, in Lonoke County, mounds in Lincoln, Drew, White, Poinsett, Crittenden, and Saline Counties. Palmer spent a lot of time in Arkansas, and his exploration included old house sites and fortifications. In his notes, Palmer provides descriptions of some of the towns he passed through in Arkansas, as well as the people he met.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Arkansas
Language
English
Identifier
SMC.013.009
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Edward Palmer papers, SMC.013.009
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Edward Palmer papers, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
