Ann Axtell Morris

Ann Axtell Morris (1900-1945) was an American archaeologist, artist, and author who largely worked in the U.S. southwest and Mexico.[1]

Ann Axtell was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 9, 1900. She graduated from Smith College,[2] 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. Ann and Earl were known to actively conduct archaeological fieldwork together in both the U.S. and Mexico. Some of Ann’s most notable work was at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, where she and her husband conducted multiple years of excavation. Though her husband is considered to be the more famous of the two, Ann was critical to his research and an important pioneer in the field of archaeology during a time when the discipline did not largely accept the participation of women.[3]

In tandem with her husband and other notable figures in archaeology, Ann traveled throughout the Southwest United States and Mexico with support from the Carnegie Institution to conduct fieldwork in the 1920s and 1930s.[4] Among the many projects she was a part of, Ann was an important addition to the task of documenting and reconstructing the Temple of the Warriors in Chichen Itza.[5]

Ann also wrote two influential books: Digging in Yucatan: Archaeological Explorations in 1924 (1931) and Digging in the Southwest (1933).[3] As an artist as well, her drawings and watercolor paintings documented and drew interest to a number of significant archaeological sites, including Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde.

References
  1. "Ann Axtell Morris". National Park Service.
  2. "Ann Axtell Morris (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov.
  3. Claassen, Cheryl (1994). Women in Archaeology. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-0-8122-1509-0.
  4. "Lecturer shares insight into documenting ancient art". The Journal. The Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  5. Morris, Earl; Morris, Ann; Charlot, Jean. "The Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza, Yucatan" (PDF). Carnegie Institution of Washington. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
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