Definition: Cyrus Thomas was an American archaeologist, associated with the Smithsonian Institution, who spent his career studying Native American burial mounds throughout the midwestern United States. During the late nineteenth century, he was the Director of Mound Exploration at the Smithsonian, when he published several treatises proving that Native Americans had built and were buried in the burial mounds, putting an end to the moundbuilder theory. Or so one would think, anyway.
This glossary entry is part of the
Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the
front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of
Kris Hirst.
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