1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Archaeology

John Wesley Powell [1834-1902]

By K. Kris Hirst, About.com

Definition: Civil War veteran and American adventurer John Wesley Powell wandered all over the American west and southwest, running the rapids of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon at the age of 35. He was head of the U.S. Geological Survey between 1881 and 1894; and founded and was the first director of the American Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution.

Powell, John Wesley. Indian Linguistic Families of America North of Mexico. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. Reprinted 1966. University of Nebraska Press. 1891.

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.

Explore Archaeology

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Archaeology
  4. Archaeologists
  5. Biographies
  6. Archaeologists O-Q
  7. John Wesley Powell [1834-1902]>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.