Edward Herbert Thompson
| Edward Herbert Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 28, 1857 Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Died | May 11, 1935 (aged 77) Plainfield, New Jersey |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | archaeology |
| Known for | Maya civilization |
| Influences | John Lloyd Stephens |
Edward Herbert Thompson (September 28, 1857 – May 11, 1935) was an American-born archaeologist and diplomat.
Edward H. Thompson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Initially inspired by the books of John Lloyd Stephens, Thompson devoted much of his career to study of the Maya civilization. In 1879, Popular Science Monthly published "Atlantis Not a Myth", an article by Thompson in which he argued that the ancient Mayan monuments, which he had never seen except in books, were proof of the lost continent of Atlantis--an opinion which his later researches would change. The article attracted the attention of Stephen Salisbury III, son of an American landowner and a benefactor of the American Antiquarian Society, who persuaded Thompson to move to Yucatán to explore the ruins on his behalf. Senator George Frisbie Hoar of Massachusetts agreed to help subsidize Thompson's efforts by recommending him for the post of United States consul to Yucatán.
Thompson arrived in Mérida, Yucatán, in 1885 and thereafter spent most of his life in Yucatán. Although he spoke only English upon his arrival, he quickly learned Spanish and also became fluent in the Yucatec Maya language.
Thompson did early extensive examinations at Labná, picking that site because little work had previously been done there and because its distance from any modern settlement had left it relatively undisturbed in modern times. He also discovered a number of smaller sites in the Puuc region.
He made a series of plaster casts of Maya sculptures and architecture, particularly from Uxmal and Labná, which were exhibited at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893.
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