Hrdlicka suppressed pre-Clovis archaeology at Smithsonian, researcher contends. Ales Hrdlicka served as head of the Smithsonian Institution's anthropology department Hrdlicka enforced the theory that humans arrived in the Americas no earlier than 3,000 years ago Hrdlicka suppressed early discoveries at the Folsom site and attempted to discredit the Clovis-first model
Ales Hrdlicka headed Smithsonian's anthropology department and enforced a 3,000-year limit on humans in the Americas, reportedly suppressing pre-Clovis discoveries at Folsom and ruining opposing careers. Hila Cliff Dwellings records in New Mexico remain heavily redacted despite NAGPRA being law for 36 years.
Key Facts
- Ales Hrdlicka served as head of the Smithsonian Institution's anthropology department
- Hrdlicka enforced the theory that humans arrived in the Americas no earlier than 3,000 years ago
- Hrdlicka suppressed early discoveries at the Folsom site and attempted to discredit the Clovis-first model
- Hrdlicka reportedly ruined numerous careers of archaeologists who posited earlier human arrival in the Americas
- Hrdlicka was a white supremacist who believed in biological determinism and a correlation between bone measurements and racial superiority
- Hrdlicka collected and hid skeletal remains with large measurements, including those from Native American burials
- NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) has been law for 36 years (since 1990)
- Researcher reports the Hila Cliff Dwellings archaeological records in New Mexico are heavily redacted, with artifact locations and researcher names blacked out
- Kansas University is cited as still being behind on NAGPRA repatriation compliance
Related site: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Five Conferences: The Complete Guide to Your Fall Conference Season by The Cosmic Summit