Ripley P. Bullen
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Ripley Pierce Bullen (1902–1976) was Curator Emeritus at the
Florida Museum of Natural History The Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) is Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located at 3215 Hull Road on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Gaine ...
at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
, where he was the Department Chair of Social Sciences for a period of seventeen years (1956–1973). He was an
archaeologist 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, ...
primarily associated with the
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and
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, and in his later years he was known as the "dean of Floridian archaeology".Figueredo, Alfredo E. ''Ripley Pierce Bullen 1902-1976: a memoir''. St. Croix Archaeology. (5 pp.) Retrieved Mar 26, 2011, from http://www.stcroixarchaeology.org/files/A_Memoir_-_Figuerdo.htm He also completed fieldwork in the
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, the
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states,
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, and the
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and
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...
.


Early and personal life

Ripley Pierce Bullen was born September 21, 1902, in
Winthrop, Massachusetts Winthrop is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,316 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Winthrop is an ocean-side suburban town in Greater Boston situated at the ...
. His parents were Dana Ripley Bullen and Bessie Louise Pierce. He had a humble childhood growing up in the Bay State. Referred to as "Rip" by his childhood friends, a name that would stick with him throughout his life, Bullen was always known for his enthusiasm towards anything that he pursued. Bullen met his life partner, Adelaide Kendall, while working in Massachusetts. Adelaide Kendall was a
cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
and physical
anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
.Wilkerson, Jeffery K. 1978. Bullen, Ripley, Pierce 1902-1976. ''American Antiquity''. 43:4:622-631. A few years later, in 1929, they married. The couple raised two sons, Dana Ripley II and Pierce Kendall. Bullen was also a grandfather of four. Mrs. Bullen worked alongside her husband on numerous projects including the founding of their publishing company, Kendall Books. She also researched and wrote articles with her husband.


Education and early career

At an early age Bullen was interested in both archaeology and
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
. He attended Schenectady High School in
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, graduating in 1921, after which he attended
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, where he received a master's degree in
mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
in 1925. Later that year, Bullen landed his first job with
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...
. Over the next decade he worked in their engineering research department before he transitioned into sales for General Electric, where he worked in New York and Massachusetts for a few years. During his tenure at GE, Bullen continued his fascination with archaeology. Finding time between being a father and his paying job at GE, he managed to participate in his first excavation at a
steatite Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in subdu ...
quarry in 1939. Bullen's first jump into professional archeology was as an organizer for the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, where he would give numerous presentations about his work and findings to that organization and at meetings of the
Society for American Archaeology The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) is a professional association for the archaeology of the Americas. It was founded in 1934 and its headquarters are in based in Washington, D.C. , it has 7,500 members. Its current president is Daniel S ...
.


Archeological career

In 1940, after working for the General Electric Company for fifteen years, Bullen left his job to professionally pursue archaeology. He worked for the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology at
Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...
in
Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was Settler, settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''Encyclopedia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed. ...
, for the next eight years. While in that position, Bullen took part in the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...
's archaeology field school studies in
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. He also worked towards a doctorate in anthropology and served as a Teaching Fellow for two years at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. Bullen rose to some prominence through his many published articles during his time with the Robert S. Peabody Foundation, where he created the basic cultural chronology for eastern Massachusetts. In 1948 Bullen and his family made the long move south to Florida, where he accepted an offer to become an assistant archaeologist for the Florida Board of Park and Historic Memorials. A few years later, the Florida Museum of Natural History established an Anthropology Department, and Bullen became its first archaeologist. With the creation of the department, many of Bullen's excavation collections as well as other collections and records from the Florida Park Service were relocated to the Museum of Natural History. In 1956, Bullen accepted the chairmanship of the Department of Social Sciences at the Florida Museum of Natural History. While chairing the department, Bullen participated in a number of excavations sponsored by the William L. Bryant Foundation and the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
in St. John and St. Thomas in the
U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...
. Bullen published several articles and monographs on the islands' prehistory and became one of the first archaeologists to study and excavate in the Caribbean islands. Some of Bullen's compiled collections from his work are still housed in the Florida Museum of Natural History. A few years later, Bullen began to compile research for a
projectile point In archaeological terminology, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a weapon that was capable of being thrown or projected, such as a javelin, dart, or arrow. They are thus different from weapons presumed to have been kept in the ...
guide of Florida's prehistoric cultures, which was first published in 1968. This became his most notable and most widely cited work. Bullen guided the department as chairman for seventeen years until his retirement in 1973. Although officially retired, he continued to work and was honored as Curator Emeritus at the University of Florida in 1976. The "Bullen Medal for outstanding future anthropologists" was established in his honor by the University of Florida. From 1970 to 1976, Bullen became the head editor of the Florida Anthropological Society's journal, the ''Florida Anthropologist''.Florida Museum of Natural History. "History of the Florida Collections." Retrieved Mar 26, 2011, from http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/flarch/history.htm He was the editor of the organization's journal until his death on December 25, 1976. In addition to being editor of a major anthropological journal, Bullen was the author of more than two hundred books, monographs and articles.


Bullen projectile point typology

In the late 1960s Bullen began developing his point typology of Floridian prehistory to aid fellow archaeologists with point classification. The first report of Bullen's Florida projectile point classification was presented to the Florida Anthropological Society in 1967. The presentation went so well that the projectile point classification system which started as a reference guide grew to a small monograph and was then published by the
Florida Museum of Natural History The Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) is Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located at 3215 Hull Road on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Gaine ...
in 1968. In the introduction of his collection, Bullen stated, "students of projectile points wished considerably more detailed information than had been originally contemplated. At the risk of making this guide too lengthy, the author has tried to please all, partially if not completely" (Bullen 1968:2).Bullen, Ripley P. 1968. ''A guide to the identification of Florida projectile points''. Florida State Museum, Gainesville, Florida. (50 pp.) The first edition recognized a wide range of projectile point types. The number continued to grow as Bullen continued his research on the subject. In 1975, with much more researched point types, Bullen published the second edition of his point guide through Kendall Books, a company formed together with his wife. The Bullen Projectile Point Typology remains a key tool for Florida and southeastern archaeologists.


Award and honors

In March 1976, Bullen was awarded a degree of Doctorate of Science by the University of Florida. This honorary degree was in recognition of his many contributions to the archaeological world, especially work completed in Florida and for the university. In the same year the Ripley P. Bullen award, sometimes referred to as the Bullen Medal, was established by the University of Florida to honor outstanding students within the archeological field. The Bullen Award is given in honor of Ripley P. Bullen for his work with the Florida Museum. The recipients of the Bullen Award are chosen by the Florida Museum's university teaching committee. The award is bestowed to students involved with or conducting museum based research for excellence in research of the anthropology of Florida and the Caribbean Basin.


Selected books, monographs and articles

*"Instructions for the site survey". 1939. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society'' 1(1):8-10. *"The Dolly Bond steatite quarry". 1940. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society'' 2(1):14-22. *"Further notes on the Dolly Bond steatite quarry". 1940. (Ripley P. Bullen). Society for American Archaeology, Notebook, November, pp. 158–160. *"An anthropological world". 1942. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''American Anthropologist'' 44:525-526. *"A proposed Massachusetts projectile point classification". 1943. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society'' 4:45-47. *"Suggestions of stratigraphy in eastern Massachusetts". 1946. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society'' 7:54-59. *"Excavations in Northeastern Massachusetts" 1949 (Ripley P. Bullen). Papers of the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology, Philips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. *"The Safety Harbor site, Pinellas County, Florida". 1950. (Ripley P. Bullen and J.W. Griffin). Florida Anthropological Society, Publications 2. (42 pp.) *"The Johns Island site, Hernando County, Florida". 1950. (A.K. Bullen and Ripley P. Bullen). ''American Antiquity'' 16:23-45. *"History along route AlA". 1951. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Highways'' 19(9):22-23. *"Certain small triangular arrow points". 1951. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society'' 12:64-66. *"An archaeological survey of Amelia Island, Florida". 1952. (Ripley P. Bullen and J.W. Griffin). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 5:37-64. *"The famous Crystal River site". 1953. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 6:9-37. *"The transitional period of Florida". 1959. (Ripley P. Bullen). Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Newsletter 6:43-53, 59–62. *"Ceramic periods of St. Thomas and St. John islands, Virgin Islands". 1962. (Ripley P. Bullen). The William L. Bryant Foundation, American Studies, Report 4. *"Archaeological research at Grenada, West Indies". 1964. (Ripley P. Bullen). American Philosophical Society, Yearbook 1963, pp. 511–514. *"Archaeological chronology of Grenada". 1965. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''American Antiquity'' 31:237-241. *"Florida West Coast from Crystal River south". In "The transition from Archaic to Woodland: a symposium." 1966. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Southeastern Archaeological Conference Newsletter'' 10:10-11. *"Two ancient Florida dugout canoes". 1967. (Ripley P. Bullen and H.K. Brooks). ''Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences'' 30:97-107. *''A guide to the identification of Florida projectile points''. 1968. (Ripley P. Bullen). Florida State Museum, Gainesville, Florida. (50 pp.) *"Beveled stemmed points from Tampa Bay". 1969. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 21:89-90. *"A worked mammoth bone from Florida". 1970. (Ripley P. Bullen, S.D. Webb and B.I. Waller). ''American Antiquity'' 35:203-205. *"Archaeology: Caribbean area". ''Handbook of Latin American Studies''. 1971. (Ripley P. Bullen). University of Florida Press, Gainesville. 33:61-66. *"The Sarasota County Mound, Englewood, Florida". 1971. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 24:1-30. *"An engraving tool from north Florida". 1972. (Ripley P. Bullen and M.T. Wallace). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 25:131-132. *"The Orange period of peninsular Florida". In ''Fiber-tempered pottery in southeastern United States and northern Columbia: its origins, context, and significance''. 1972. (Ripley P. Bullen). Florida Anthropological Society, Publications 6:9-33. *"Pre-Columbian dogs in the Lesser and Greater Antilles". ''Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress for the Study of Pre-Columbian Cultures of the Lesser Antilles, Antigua''. 1974. (Ripley P. Bullen and M. Mattioni). pp. 162–165. *"Were there pre-Columbian cultural contacts between Florida and the West Indies: the archaeological evidence". 1974. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 27:149-160. *''A guide to the identification of Florida projectile points''. 1975. (Ripley P. Bullen). Kendall Books, Gainesville. (62 pp.) *"Culture areas and climaxes in Antillean prehistory". ''Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress for the Study of Pre-Columbian Cultures of the Lesser Antilles, Guadeloupe''. 1976. (Ripley P. Bullen and A.K. Bullen). pp. 1–10. *"Pre-Columbian trade in eastern United States as viewed from Florida". 1978. (Ripley P. Bullen). ''Florida Anthropologist'' 31:92-108.


See also

* Bullen Projectile Point Typology Collection


References


External links


Ripley Bullen Projectile Point Typology
Florida Museum of Natural History

Florida Museum of Natural History {{DEFAULTSORT:Bullen, Ripley P. 1902 births 1976 deaths People from Winthrop, Massachusetts Cornell University College of Engineering alumni 20th-century American writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American archaeologists