Kidder, Alfred

Kidder, Alfred (Vincent) (1885–1963) archaeologist; born in Marquette, Mich. He led major advances in American archaeology by developing a typology for southwestern American Indian pottery (1914) and introducing large-scale systematic stratigraphic field techniques, notably in his excavations at Pecos, N.M. (1915–29). At the Carnegie Institution (1927–50) he directed interdisciplinary research on the Maya. His nearly 200 titles include the classic Introduction to… Southwestern Archaeology (1924). The American Anthropological Association's premier award bears his name.