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“Linebaugh has breathed new life into the embers of Robbins' career and taken a step towards restoring him to his rightful place in the pantheon, or perhaps rogues gallery, of individuals who have defined the history of historical archaeology . . . Linebaugh's sympathetic biography is an important addition to the literature on the history and development of North American historical archaeology. It is well written and well researched . . . A job well done”—Historical Archaeology
A thorough new accounting of the work of the controversial archaeologist Roland Robbins.
In The Man Who Found Thoreau Donald Linebaugh presents a succinct, articulate examination of the work of the pioneering but controversial archaeologist Roland Wells Robbins (1908–1987) and the development of historical archaeology in America. In 1945 the self-taught Robbins discovered the remains of Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond. He excavated the site, documented his findings, and in 1947 published a short book, Discovery at Walden, about the experience. This project launched Robbins’s career in archaeology, restoration, and reconstruction, and he went on to excavate at a number of New England iron works and other sites, including the Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills in New York, Stawbery Banke in New Hampshire, and Shadwell, Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia birthplace. Although lacking academic training, Robbins quickly developed remarkably sophisticated techniques for the period. However, his “pick and shovel” methods were considered suspect and increasingly frowned upon by the emerging American historical archaeological establishment. As the profession evolved, trained American historical archaeologists, according to Donald Linebaugh, too scrupulously wrote Robbins out of the history of their emerging field. With the help of previously unpublished information, the author offers a balanced assessment of Robbins and his place in New England regional history and the history of American historical archaeology. The Man Who Found Thoreau is a must-read for scholars, students, and historical archaeology buffs alike.
“This well-written, well-researched book is a major contribution to the history of the development of historical archaeology in the US, and a must not only for libraries but also for the bookshelves of students, historians, and archaeologists interested in the history of American archaeology.”—Choice
"Robbins... helped to inaugurate American historical archaeology, before the emerging professional establishment moved in and wrote him out of the record. Donald Linebaugh makes a good case for him in The Man Who Found Thoreau."—Times Literary Supplement
“Donald Linebaugh is to be congratulated for painting a rich, compelling portrait of Robbins and for placing him in the context of the young and evolving field of historical archaeology. The Man Who Found Thoreau is a valuable biography of both a man and a profession.”—The New England Quarterly
Click here for TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Book:
“Robbins’s archaeological legacy, however, has proven as controversial as his life. The ultimate worth of his meticulous records—field notes, maps, photographs, and accompanying collections—has been questioned, and in some cases, entirely written off by professionals who regard his methods as deplorable and Robbins himself as a poseur and showman. While this reputation is not entirely undeserved, particularly in terms of his later work, a review of Robbins’s motives, training, and approach to excavation helps clarify both the contributions that he made to early historical and industrial archaeology and the often problematic nature of his work." -- From the Introduction
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DONALD LINEBAUGH is Director of the University of Maryland's Historic Preservation Program and Associate Professor in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
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