Robert Sharer
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Robert J. Sharer (March 16, 1940 – September 20, 2012) was an American
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, ...
, academic and Mayanist researcher. He was known for his archaeological investigations at a number of
pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...
Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...
n sites conducted over a career spanning four decades, and for his archaeological reports, theorizing, and writings in his field of specialty, the ancient
Maya civilization The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writin ...
. Sharer was a lecturer and
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
's Department of Anthropology for more than 30 years,Penn Museum (2007) and , occupied the endowed chair of Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor in Anthropology, an appointment which he held beginning in 1995. He also had an extensive association with Penn's University Museum of archaeology and anthropology, where from 1987 to 2009 he was the
curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
-in-charge of the museum's American collection and research section. He died on September 20, 2012. He was the author of ''Daily Life in Maya Civilization'' (Greenwood Press 2009), which appeared in two editions; and, with Loa P. Traxler, ''The Ancient Maya'' (Stanford University Press, 2006), which appeared in six editions.


Early life and education

Robert Sharer was born in
Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...
, and received his bachelor's degree in history from
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
. While there, he became interested in archeology while working a summer job as an undergrad at the Michigan State University Museum. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Sharer would participate in excavation projects in
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
under archaeologist Bernard Wailes, an experience that assisted in his development as an archaeologist. From 1963 to 1965, Sharer served in the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, taking a break from his graduate program. After returning from his service, Sharer was guided by William Robertson Coe II while writing his thesis on the collection Coe unearthed at El Trapiche, an early precinct of the site of Chalchuapa in
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
. In 1967, Sharer received his graduate degree; in 1968, he received his doctorate.


Archaeological work

Sharer once took a course in Mayan ethnography and spent a summer of research in
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
. He directed an excavation of
Quiriguá Quiriguá () is an ancient Maya civilization, Maya archaeological site in the Departments of Guatemala, department of Izabal Department, Izabal in south-eastern Guatemala. It is a medium-sized site covering approximately along the lower Motagua ...
, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, from 1974 to 1979. His findings noted the complexities in Mayan sociopolitical structures, trade, and cultural development. These findings challenged previous interpretations of Quiriguá's history, especially in regard to its origins, growth, and the roles of its rulers. Another significant project Sharer participated in was his work in
Copán Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It is one of the most important sites of the Maya civilization, which was not excavated until the ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
(1988–2003). His discoveries include the tomb of the 5th-century Mayan King, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'.


See also

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Notes


References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharer, Robert J American archaeologists Mayanists American Mesoamericanists Mesoamerican archaeologists 20th-century Mesoamericanists 21st-century Mesoamericanists American curators University of Pennsylvania faculty 1940 births 2012 deaths