Curator’s Choice: Historic Photo of Archaeologists

This photograph is part of the Gila Pueblo Collection and was taken during the excavation of Canyon Creek Ruin. I selected this photograph because it speaks to the lengths archaeologists must go to obtain the photographs they need. One can see the stones falling from the cliff edge, and Dr. Haury, who later became Director of the Arizona State Museum (ASM), looks in a precarious place.

Click image to enlarge.

As I looked at the photograph, I wondered if the museum had the results of Haury’s efforts in its collections, since ASM received all Gila Pueblo’s artifacts, photographs, and records when the foundation dissolved in 1951. I did find an image that seems to be the one. Its caption reads, “Survey photo. General view of area from side of cliff looking into head of small canyon in which AZ C:2:8 is located. Negative 71186.” AZ C:2:8 is the site number that Gila Pueblo assigned to Canyon Creek Ruin.

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Emil Walter Haury, May 2, 1904–December 5, 1992
Brief biography of Emil W. Haury with notes on Gila Pueblo by Raymond Harris Thompson, Caleb Vance Haynes, Jr., and James Jefferson Reid
on the National Academies Press website. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom.php?book=biomems&page=ehaury.html

Gila Pueblo Medallion Papers
Reports of all Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation research projects
on the Arizona Memory Project website
http://azmemory.lib.az.us/cdm4/index.php?CISOROOT=/medallion