The Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation was a research organization dedicated to conducting

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

research in the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

and surrounding areas. It was founded in 1928 in

Globe, Arizona Globe ( "Place of Metal") is a city in and the county seat of Gila County, Arizona, Gila County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,249. Globe was founded c. 1875 as a mini ...

, by

Harold S. Gladwin Harold Sterling Gladwin (1883–1983) was an American archaeologist, anthropologist, and stockbroker. Introduction Harold Sterling Gladwin was an early twentieth century archaeologist that specialized in Southwestern archaeology of the United Sta ...

and his wife, Winifred (McCurdy) Gladwin.Haury, Emil W. (1992) ''Emil Haury's Prehistory of the American Southwest: Edited by J. Jefferson Reid and David E. Doyel'', Tucson & London: The University of Arizona Press The foundation ceased operations in 1950.

Beginning

Harold S. Gladwin was a former

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

stockbroker who eventually left his position and moved to

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...

. In Santa Barbara, he met his future wife, Winifred, and William North Duane, who introduced Gladwin to his cousin, the archaeologist

A.V. Kidder Alfred Vincent Kidder (October 29, 1885 – June 11, 1963) was an American archaeologist considered the foremost of the southwestern United States and Mesoamerica during the first half of the 20th century. He saw a disciplined system of archaeolog ...

. Gladwin spent two field seasons with Kidder in northern

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, during which his passion and curiosity for the Southwest grew. This experience ultimately inspired him to establish the Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation.Emil Walter Haury, May 2, 1904 – December 5, 1992 , By Raymond Harris Thompson, Caleb Vance Haynes, Jr., and James Jefferson Reid , Biographical Memoirs
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Research

With Harold S. Gladwin's backing and funding, the Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation was able to conduct extensive excavations and research throughout the American Southwest. One of the most significant contributions made by the foundation was the definition of the

Hohokam Hohokam was a culture in the Indigenous peoples of the North American Southwest, North American Southwest in what is now part of south-central Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 CE, with cultural p ...

culture, a task in which the young archaeologist

Emil Haury Emil Walter "Doc" Haury (May 2, 1904 in Newton, Kansas – December 5, 1992 in Tucson, Arizona) was an American archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of the American Southwest. He is most famous for his work at Snaketown, a Hohokam s ...

played a key role. In 1930, Haury became the assistant director of Gila Pueblo. Another major accomplishment of the foundation was the identification and definition of the Cochise culture.Sayles, E.B., and Ernst Antevs (1941) ''The Cochise Culture'', Medallion Papers: Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona In 1950, Gila Pueblo ceased operations and donated its collection to the

Arizona State Museum The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. I ...

, located on 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 ...

campus. The collection was unveiled in 1951 during the inauguration of University of Arizona President Richard A. Harvill. The records of the foundation are held by the Arizona State Museum Library & Archives, with the finding aid available o
Arizona Archives Online
The building that housed the foundation, now part of

Eastern Arizona College Eastern Arizona College (EAC), is a community college in Graham County, Arizona, United States. The main campus is in Thatcher, with satellite locations in Gila County and Greenlee County. It is the oldest community college in Arizona and the ...

, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

External links

The Medallion papers published by Gila Pueblo
all 39 available online.
Wingate Polychrome Bowl
the exterior of which was used as the Gila Pueblo logo. {{Authority control Foundations based in the United States History of Arizona Globe, Arizona