Ann Axtell Morris (1900–1945) was an American archaeologist, artist, and author who largely worked in the U.S. southwest and Mexico.

Career

Morris and her husband, Earl Morris, were known to actively conduct archaeological fieldwork together in both the U.S. and Mexico. Some of Ann’s most notable early work was at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, where she and her husband conducted multiple years of excavation. Along with her husband and other archaeologists, Ann traveled throughout the southwest United States and Mexico with support from the Carnegie Institution to conduct fieldwork in the 1920s and 1930s. She was an important contributor to the task of documenting and reconstructing the Temple of the Warriors in

Chichen Itza Chichén Itzá , , often with the emphasis reversed in English to ; from () "at the mouth of the well of the Itza people, Itza people" (often spelled ''Chichen Itza'' in English and traditional Yucatec Maya) was a large Pre-Columbian era, ...

. Ann also wrote two books: ''Digging in Yucatan: Archaeological Explorations in 1924'' (1931) and ''Digging in the Southwest'' (1933). Her drawings and watercolor paintings documented a number of significant archaeological sites, including Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde.

Personal life

Ann Axtell was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 9, 1900. She graduated from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

, after which she met archaeologist Earl Morris. The two were married in 1923, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth Ann and Sarah Lane. Elizabeth later went on to get a degree in anthropology from the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

. Ann suffered from diabetes and arthritis and x-rays revealed painful spinal tumours. Towards the end of her life she developed alcoholism and depression. These conditions led to her early death at 45.

Miscellaneous

On April 20, 2022, '' Canyon Del Muerto'', a biographical drama film was released about Morris starring

Abigail Breslin Abigail Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 after playing Olive Hoover in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which Breslin received a nomin ...

and Tom Felton.

Publications

*
Digging in Yucatan
' (1931) * ''Digging in the Southwest'' (1933)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Ann 20th-century American archaeologists Mesoamerican archaeologists Smith College alumni 1900 births 1945 deaths American women archaeologists People from Omaha, Nebraska Women Mesoamericanists American Mesoamericanists 20th-century American women