Ernest Volk
Encyclopedia
Ernest Volk was a German
-born archaeologist
. Volk came to the United States in 1867, and worked for Frederic Ward Putnam
of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
for two decades, helping to add to the collection through excavations of Trenton, New Jersey
. In addition to his specimens at the Peabody Museum, Volk's contributions can also be found at the Field Museum of Natural History
and the American Museum of Natural History
, as well as at several universities. Volk was a curator of a collection he compiled at the World's Columbian Exposition
in 1893.
Along with his colleague Charles Conrad Abbott
, Volk is best known for his 22-year investigation of early human occupation of the Delaware Valley
. Volk analyzed glacial deposits known as the Trenton Gravels
, excavating the area using a form of archaeological stratigraphy. Volk eventually published his research as The Archaeology of the Delaware Valley (1911).
Volk died in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
on September 17, 1919 in a car accident
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. Volk came to the United States in 1867, and worked for Frederic Ward Putnam
Frederic Ward Putnam
Frederic Ward Putnam was an American naturalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
for two decades, helping to add to the collection through excavations of Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
. In addition to his specimens at the Peabody Museum, Volk's contributions can also be found at the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
and the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, as well as at several universities. Volk was a curator of a collection he compiled at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in 1893.
Along with his colleague Charles Conrad Abbott
Charles Conrad Abbott
Charles Conrad Abbott was an American archaeologist and naturalist, born at Trenton, New Jersey. He studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and served as a surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War...
, Volk is best known for his 22-year investigation of early human occupation of the Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
. Volk analyzed glacial deposits known as the Trenton Gravels
Geology of New Jersey
The Geology of New Jersey consists of four distinct physiographic provinces. They are: the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province, the Piedmont Province, the Highlands Province, and the Ridge and Valley Province.-Coastal Plain:...
, excavating the area using a form of archaeological stratigraphy. Volk eventually published his research as The Archaeology of the Delaware Valley (1911).
Volk died in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
Tunkhannock is a borough in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, 31 miles northwest of Wilkes-Barre. In the past, lumbering was carried on extensively. The chief industry was tanning and there were spool and tub factories, furnaces and machine shops, stave and planing mills, and witch hazel distilleries....
on September 17, 1919 in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
.