I saw him lecture once...what a loss. (NM)

Posted by Sean from d141-46-146.home.cgocable.net on January 21, 2001 at 08:14:33:

In Reply to: Archaeologist Richard Stockton "Scotty" MacNeish April 29, 1918 to January 16, 2001 posted by Inbanana Jones on January 21, 2001 at 03:29:09:

: This is from the "shovelbums" mailing list.
: I thought the Forum was sort of a "relevant mailing list"...
: eg, hey Bud-Arc, Michaelson, and the rest of you archaeology buffs...
: raise a glass to a fine fella.

: Richard Stockton "Scotty" MacNeish April 29, 1918 to January 16, 2001

: Please pass this announcement onto any relevant mailing lists you might be
: on as Scotty's friends are interested in getting the word out to the rest of
: his old buddies.

: On Tuesday of this week Dr. Richard Stockton "Scotty" MacNeish died in a
: hospital in Belize City from complications resulting from an auto accident.
: Scotty had been on a working vacation driving between the sites of Lamanai
: and Caracol. Driving fast, as was his typical pace, the car lost control on
: some loose gravel and crashed. Fortunately British troops were nearby and
: were able to get Scotty and his traveling companion, long time friend and
: editor Jane Libby, removed from the wreckage and off to the hospital. Jane
: tells me that the driver happened to be an archaeologist and that Scotty
: talked shop with him all the way to the hospital. Sadly, four hours later,
: Scotty passed away due to complications from the accident. Jane is
: recovering in a hospital in Miami, Florida.

: Everyone I have talked to so far has agreed, with the exception of actually
: being able to die on an archaeology site, this is the way Scotty would have
: wanted it: Away in the rainforest, between visiting two great sites, talking
: shop, and reflecting on the cold Belikin beers he had the night before.
: About the only thing different about this I could imagine is that he would
: have preferred a bit more sporty of a car than a rental.

: Scotty's body will be cremated in Belize and flown to his home in Andover
: Massachusetts.

: A bit about Scotty.

: Scotty, as one friend put it best, was a hell of a character. I have even
: had the pleasure to have worked with Scotty's original crew boss, Roger
: Willis, who supervised Scotty during the WPA days at the Kincaid site in
: Illinois when Scotty was a young buck at Chicago. Even then Roger tells me,
: Scotty was quite the character having been a golden gloves champion in his
: youth, and heavily into listening to the blues on the south side of Chicago.
: But what most of us remember Scotty for is his pioneering work on the
: origins of corn in Mexico in the 1950's. There is however plenty of
: information about Scotty on the web for which I have added a few links
: below. So I would just like to say a few words myself.

: The bottom line about Scotty was he was a good man. He was known as many
: things: a story teller, an agitator, a flirt, a lover of good bourbon and
: Bohemia beer, a man who had the most important trait a archaeologists can
: hope for, passion for his profession. It does not matter if you agree with
: all of his interpretations of his research - disagreement is the nature of
: our profession. What matters is that Scotty was a good person. And yes you
: will hear your bosses and professors tell stories about Scotty - some wilder
: and harder to believe than others, but unless they are first hand stories -
: and so few of them are it seems, take them with a grain of salt. I am sure
: though that Scotty regrets not having got to meet each of you personally -
: as that was one of his true loves was, meeting younger archaeologists and
: telling them stories about the old days. I was never at a conference where
: Scotty and I crossed paths that he did not make the time to take the groups
: I was with to the bar to regale them with first hand stories of field work
: throughout the century. At the age of 82, and after nearly 6,000 days in
: the field - Scotty has become part of what he had always loved, the
: archaeological record.

: So folks, the only thing I ask of you all is the next time you are in the
: bar with your archaeology buddies or taking lunch in the field, have a
: moment of silence among yourselves - reflect on the fact that this man who
: was born in 1918 and who died in 2001... was still doing archaeology, then
: make a toast to his memory. Scotty would have liked that.

:
: There a few photos of Scotty at the new Shovelbum's section called "The
: Ossuary". If you have any personal anecdotes that you would like to share
: on this page feel free to pass them on to me.

: http://ossuary.shovelbums.org/

: I found several good articles about Scotty online at:

: By Bill Brown -

: http://www.discoveringarchaeology.com/0599toc/5profile1-macneish.shtml

: and

: http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/information/biography/klmno/macneish_richard.html

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: : This is from the "shovelbums" mailing list.
: : I thought the Forum was sort of a "relevant mailing list"...
: : eg, hey Bud-Arc, Michaelson, and the rest of you archaeology buffs...
: : raise a glass to a fine fella.

: : Richard Stockton "Scotty" MacNeish April 29, 1918 to January 16, 2001

: : Please pass this announcement onto any relevant mailing lists you might be
: : on as Scotty's friends are interested in getting the word out to the rest of
: : his old buddies.

: : On Tuesday of this week Dr. Richard Stockton "Scotty" MacNeish died in a
: : hospital in Belize City from complications resulting from an auto accident.
: : Scotty had been on a working vacation driving between the sites of Lamanai
: : and Caracol.  Driving fast, as was his typical pace, the car lost control on
: : some loose gravel and crashed.  Fortunately British troops were nearby and
: : were able to get Scotty and his traveling companion, long time friend and
: : editor Jane Libby, removed from the wreckage and off to the hospital.  Jane
: : tells me that the driver happened to be an archaeologist and that Scotty
: : talked shop with him all the way to the hospital.  Sadly, four hours later,
: : Scotty passed away due to complications from the accident.  Jane is
: : recovering in a hospital in Miami, Florida.

: : Everyone I have talked to so far has agreed, with the exception of actually
: : being able to die on an archaeology site, this is the way Scotty would have
: : wanted it: Away in the rainforest, between visiting two great sites, talking
: : shop, and reflecting on the cold Belikin beers he had the night before.
: : About the only thing different about this I could imagine is that he would
: : have preferred a bit more sporty of a car than a rental.

: : Scotty's body will be cremated in Belize and flown to his home in Andover
: : Massachusetts.

: : A bit about Scotty.

: : Scotty, as one friend put it best, was a hell of a character.  I have even
: : had the pleasure to have worked with Scotty's original crew boss, Roger
: : Willis, who supervised Scotty during the WPA days at the Kincaid site in
: : Illinois when Scotty was a young buck at Chicago.  Even then Roger tells me,
: : Scotty was quite the character having been a golden gloves champion in his
: : youth, and heavily into listening to the blues on the south side of Chicago.
: : But what most of us remember Scotty for is his pioneering work on the
: : origins of corn in Mexico in the 1950's.  There is however plenty of
: : information about Scotty on the web for which I have added a few links
: : below. So I would just like to say a few words myself.

: : The bottom line about Scotty was he was a good man.  He was known as many
: : things: a story teller, an agitator, a flirt, a lover of good bourbon and
: : Bohemia beer, a man who had the most important trait a archaeologists can
: : hope for, passion for his profession.  It does not matter if you agree with
: : all of his interpretations of his research - disagreement is the nature of
: : our profession.  What matters is that Scotty was a good person.  And yes you
: : will hear your bosses and professors tell stories about Scotty - some wilder
: : and harder to believe than others, but unless they are first hand stories -
: : and so few of them are it seems, take them with a grain of salt.  I am sure
: : though that Scotty regrets not having got to meet each of you personally -
: : as that was one of his true loves was, meeting younger archaeologists and
: : telling them stories about the old days.  I was never at a conference where
: : Scotty and I crossed paths that he did not make the time to take the groups
: : I was with to the bar to regale them with first hand stories of field work
: : throughout the century.  At the age of 82, and after nearly 6,000 days in
: : the field - Scotty has become part of what he had always loved, the
: : archaeological record.

: : So folks, the only thing I ask of you all is the next time you are in the
: : bar with your archaeology buddies or taking lunch in the field, have a
: : moment of silence among yourselves - reflect on the fact that this man who
: : was born in 1918 and who died in 2001... was still doing archaeology, then
: : make a toast to his memory.  Scotty would have liked that.

: : 
: : There a few photos of Scotty at the new Shovelbum's section called "The
: : Ossuary".  If you have any personal anecdotes that you would like to share
: : on this page feel free to pass them on to me.

: : http://ossuary.shovelbums.org/

: : I found several good articles about Scotty online at:

: : By Bill Brown -

: : http://www.discoveringarchaeology.com/0599toc/5profile1-macneish.shtml

: : and

: : http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/information/biography/klmno/macneish_richard.html

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