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James Bennett Griffin was one of the major forces in the development of North American archaeology and served as the director of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1975. The papers contain correspondence, extensive research and photograph files on North American archaeological sites, cultures and artifacts, and information on Griffin's writing, professional activities, and teaching within the University of Michigan Department of Anthropology.

The James B. Griffin Papers are a rich source of information about Griffin's life, the history of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, archaeological sites and topics, particularly in North America, and the overall development of the field of North American archaeology from the 1930s to the 1990s. The papers consist of 16 series: Biographical and Personal; Student Years; Correspondence, 1930-1975; Correspondence, 1975-1997; Radiocarbon Laboratory; Teaching and Advising; Conferences and Symposia; Professional Associations and Affiliations; Speaking Engagements; Travel and International Initiatives; Writings and Publications; Hopewell; Topical Files; Archaeological Sites and Projects; North American Archaeology Card Files; and Photographs.

Papers of Francis W. Kelsey, University of Michigan professor of Latin (for whom Museum was named); papers of Museum directors and curators, principally Orma F. Butler, Enoch E. Peterson, Louise A. Shier, John G. Winter; papers of University faculty associated with the Museum or the study and teaching of classical and medieval studies, notably Arthur E.R. Boak, Campbell Bonner, Thomas S. Jerome, and Robert H. McDowell; also records of the Institute of Archaeological Research, and material on 1975-1979 Carthage expedition.

The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology records document the administration of the museum from its founding in 1929 and the research and field activities of University of Michigan archaeologists and classical scholars dating back to 1890. The material consists of files of Kelsey Museum director's and curator's and University of Michigan scholars closely associated with the museum or active in archaeological work prior to the museum's founding. The papers include extensive correspondence files; field notebooks, maps, photographs, reports, and other research material from archaeological expeditions; drafts of articles and books; teaching material; and administrative records

The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology records have been treated and described here as a single collection divided into a number of subgroups. In the collection guide prepared by the Kelsey Museum, these subgroups were treated as individual collections, each with a separate finding aid and box numbering sequence beginning at one. The largest subgroup by far is the Francis Willey Kelsey papers, totaling 66.5 linear feet. Artifacts from excavations conducted by Kelsey formed the basis of the Museum's collection.

Papers	Kelsey Box #
Arthur E.R. Boak	1-3
Campbell Bonner	1
Orma Fitch Butler	1-24
Inst. of Archaeological Research	1-7
Thomas Jerome Spencer	1-20
Francis Willey Kelsey	1-156
Kelsey Museum	1-5
Robert H. McDowell	1
Enoch Ernest Peterson	1-8	217-224
Louise Adele Shier	1-9
John Garrett Winter	1
Carthage Excavations	1-15

Bible scholar and translator, professor of Semitics at the University of Michigan; papers include correspondence, diaries, lectures and essays, archaeological expedition field notes and reports, and professional organization files.

The papers of Leroy Waterman (1875-1972) consist of five linear feet of correspondence, diaries, lecture notes, research notes, speeches, essays, photographs, news clippings, and other materials. The collection has been arranged into seven series: Biographical/personal; Correspondence; Diaries; Lectures, Essays, Speeches, Publications; Archaeological Expeditions; Organizational Affiliations; and Miscellaneous.

The records of the Michigan Archaeological Society records cover the period since 1924. The record group consists primarily of reports, meeting agenda and minutes, correspondence, newsletters, and clippings. The series in the record group are Background, Administrative, Activities, Local Chapters, Topical, and Publications.

Researchers should note that this collection contains depictions of the lives and cultures of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadami Nations in Michigan (among other Indigenous cultures across North America) in an archaeological context, described by primarily white archaeologists. As such, materials in this collection may contain offensive language and descriptions of those cultures.

The University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology was established in 1922 as the Museum of Anthropology. The Museum is one of the major research facilities in the United States for the collection and study of archaeological and ethnological materials. The record group includes budget information, executive committee meeting minutes, topical files, and curator files.

The Museum of Anthropological Archaeology record group includes budget information, executive committee meeting minutes, topical files, and curator files. The records are organized in three series, Budget, Topical Files, and Curator Files.

Often termed the father of Michigan archaeology, Wilbert B. Hinsdale developed and cared for the collections of the Great Lakes Division of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan from 1922 to 1944, after retiring from his position as Dean of the Homeopathic Medical College. The papers contain correspondence, topical files related to archaeological subjects, site files for archaeological sites throughout Michigan, and personal scrapbooks, diaries, and photographs.

The W.B. Hinsdale Papers consist of five series: Personal, Correspondence, Topical Files, Writing and Michigan Site Files.

University of Michigan alum (Ph.D. in Geology, 1960), University of Michigan professor of Geology (1965-2000), and curator at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology (1975-2000). Farrand's papers primarily document his career in geological archaeology through correspondence, field notes, research files, publications, and visual materials.

The William R. Farrand papers primarily document the research activities and career of William R. Farrand, an archeological geologist, educator, and scholar known for his work in the Near East and the Mediterranean. His papers mostly pertain to the various expeditions and excavations he conducted, including at Fontéchevade, France; Franchthi Cave, France; Karystos, Greece; Mt. Ararat, Turkey; Qafzeh Cave, Israel; Yabrud (Yabroud), Syria; and Yarimburgaz Cave, Turkey. Record types present include correspondence, field notes, research and reference materials, topical files organized by name, publications, slides, section maps, and photographs.

Remaining materials include materials that document his activities in professional organizations, publications, and topical files. Materials also include notes by Henry Wright, Curator of Near Eastern Archaeology at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Michigan (as of May 2024).