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Luther Sheeleigh Cressman

ルーサー・シーリー・クレスマン

Luther Sheeleigh Cressman

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1897-10-24 （Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States）
Died
1994-04-04 （Eugene, Oregon, United States） age 96
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Episcopal Church
Residence History
Pottstown (birth) → Eugene (longtime residence and workplace)

Career

Occupations
field archaeologist, professor, sociologist, Episcopal priest (former)
Active Years
1923-1963
Affiliations
University of Oregon (faculty)
Influenced By
Franz Boas, Columbia sociology/anthropology milieu
Influenced
Homer Barnett, Many archaeologists and anthropologists trained at the University of Oregon

Education

Pennsylvania State University
Classics
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1914–1918
Year of Graduation: 1918
Country: United States
B.A., major in Classics
Columbia University
Sociology / Anthropology
Degree: M.A., Ph.D.
Period: 1920s (修士・博士課程)
Year of Graduation: 1928
Country: United States
Studied sociology and anthropology; received Ph.D. in 1928 and left the priesthood the same year.

Awards

Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: 受賞
Oregon Book Award (literary nonfiction)
1989
Work: A Golden Journey: Memoirs of an Archaeologist
Category: 文学ノンフィクション
Organization: Oregon Literary Arts (Oregon Book Awards)
Result: 受賞
John Alsop King Fellowship
Organization: Unknown
Result: 受賞
Charles E. Johnson Memorial Award
Organization: University of Oregon (related)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Klamath Prehistory

1956 Academic (archaeology)

A scholarly study of the prehistory of the Klamath region in Oregon, including site descriptions and artifact analyses.

prehistoryregional archaeology

The Sandal and the Cave

1962 Archaeology (scholarly/popular)

Discusses the Fort Rock sandals discovered in Oregon and interprets their significance for understanding ancient indigenous lifeways.

artifact analysisindigenous cultures

Prehistory of the Far West: Homes of Vanished Peoples

1977 Scholarly/popular archaeology

A broad overview of the prehistory of the American Far West, discussing site distributions and relationships between environmental change and human activity.

environmental archaeologyregional prehistory

A Golden Journey: Memoirs of an Archaeologist

1988 Memoir / Nonfiction

An autobiographical account of Cressman's career, excavations, academic life, and reflections on archaeological practice. Winner of the 1989 Oregon Book Award.

academic lifefield memoir

Bibliography

  • Klamath Prehistory (1956)
  • The Sandal and the Cave (1962)
  • Prehistory of the Far West: Homes of Vanished Peoples (1977)
  • A Golden Journey: Memoirs of an Archaeologist (1988)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear, fact-based prosefieldwork-rooted exposition
Recurring Motifs
reconstructing lifeways from artifactsenvironment–human interaction

Legacy

Luther Cressman pioneered prehistory research in Oregon, notably through discoveries such as the Fort Rock sandals, making important contributions to North American prehistory. He founded the anthropology department at the University of Oregon and trained many successors.

Museums

  • Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon, United States

Academic Societies

  • American Anthropological Association

Archives

  • Guide to the Luther Cressman papers (University of Oregon archives)

In Popular Culture

  • The Fort Rock sandals are frequently featured in museum displays and documentaries as ancient footwear.

Quotes

  • He calls me, 'Doc'.
    Source: Anecdote from an anthropology lecture at the University of Oregon

Trivia

  • Married Margaret Mead in 1923 (divorced 1927)
  • Discovered ancient sandals at Fort Rock in 1938 (radiocarbon-dated to ~10,500–9,300 years BP)
  • Professor at University of Oregon from 1929; founded the anthropology department in 1935 and chaired it until 1963
  • Won the 1989 Oregon Book Award for his memoir 'A Golden Journey'