Description
Heizer directed important field work in the Sacramento Valley of California, near Lovelock, Nevada, and the Mayan sites of
La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico and Abaj Takalik, Guatemala. He published more than 500 books and articles concerning archaeology
and anthropology. He served as an expert witness in the Indian land claims cases Clyde F. Thompson et. al. v. United States,
Docket No. 31, and Ernest Risling et. al. v. United States, Docket No. 37.
Background
Robert Fleming Heizer (1915-1979) was a highly influential professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley,
and a recognized expert on Native American and Mesoamerican archaeology. He conducted extensive research on the native peoples
of California, Nevada, Alaska, Mexico, and Guatemala, and published numerous books, articles, and reports on his findings.
Heizer's assiduous scholarship won him fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Center for Advanced
Study in the Behavioral Sciences, grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the Wenner-Gren
Foundation for Anthropological Research, an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, and election
to the National Academy of Sciences. Although he was known to be demanding, competitive, and at times controversial, his students
and colleagues appreciated the generosity with which he shared his knowledge and his dedication to the rigorous analysis of
archaeological data.
Extent
Microfilm: 173 reels
Originals: 38 cartons, 1 box, 8 volumes, and 3 oversize folders
Linear feet: Approximately 48.5
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing to the curator, History of Science and Technology Collection. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of
the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
Collection is available on microfilm only. Originals are not available for use. Collection is open for research, with the
following exception: the contents of Box 1 are closed to research until December 31, 2031. (Box 1 has not been microfilmed.)