Florida Archaeology Month Recommended Reading: Grit-Tempered

(photo courtesy of 
Amazon Books)

Grit-Tempered: Early Women Archaeologists in the Southeastern United States, edited by Nancy White, Lynne Sullivan, and Rochelle Marrinan, has become a favorite of many FPAN staffers. This book brings together archaeology and women's history in a great volume that is full of fascinating stories about fascinating women. So, what better book to discuss in March during Florida Archaeology Month and Women's History Month?

Many non-professionals with an interest in archaeology are overwhelmed with some books that are overly technical or academically dry. Grit-Tempered is not that type of book! This book is about the archaeologists, not necessarily the archaeology. And furthermore, it is one of the few volumes dedicated solely to female archaeologists. Many archaeologists and non-archaeologists alike are familiar with many of the male characters that have shaped Florida and Southeastern Archaeology. Many have heard names like Ripley Bullen, who had a long tenure at the Florida Museum of Natural History. But how many of us are familiar with Adelaide Bullen, his wife? Adelaide, in partnership with Ripley, had a career that spanned  over 50 years. She received her graduate degree in cultural and physical anthropology from Harvard in 1948. In the 1970s she established her own publishing company, Kendall Books. Grit-Tempered has an entire chapter on Adelaide, providing a unique opportunity to learn about a woman who was the "other half" of a very influential archaeology husband and wife duo. 

And of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention Hester Davis, a public archaeology legend!

Hester Davis (Photo courtesy
of The Archaeological 
Conservancy)

Long before organizations like FPAN were in existence, Hester Davis was promoting public archaeology. She was one of the first to speak out publicly about the ethical and public issues, combining research and advocacy for archaeology. In the 1960s, she advocated for a formal archaeological program for the state of Arkansas and worked alongside non-archaeologists. In 1967 the Arkansas Archaeological Survey was created and Hester was appointed State Archaeologist. Hester Davis was instrumental in helping to create FPAN and is a Director emeritus on our board. Hester passed away in 2014. Dr. Nancy White, another fierce public archaeology legend in her own right, is author of an outstanding chapter on Hester Davis. 

There are so many amazing women in Southeastern and Florida Archaeology that we cannot list them all. If you want to learn more, and trust us, you do, read Grit-Tempered. Not only does it have some phenomenal biographical sketches, it also discusses the history of women in archaeology and the struggles that they faced. Not only does it touch on gender in archaeology, but also race. One of the most enlightening chapters is a discussion on the white and African American women working at a site in Georgia during The New Deal (1937-1940). Overall, Grit-Tempered is a wonderful overview of women in Southeastern archaeology, written by women who helped pave the way for many younger archaeologists in the field currently. It is fascinating to see the evolution of a profession that has gone from unacceptable for women to one that is largely made up of women. Much work still needs to be done, but it is inspiring to see how far we have come.