Cosmos Mindeleff

Cosmos Mindeleff(1863–1938) started his career as assistant to his brotherVictor Mindeleff,who was employed by theBureau of American Ethnologyto conduct studies ofPuebloarchitecture in the 1880s. In 1882,James Stevensonand the Mindeleffs visitedCanyon de Chellyand Canyon del Muerto. In later years, Victor and Cosmos Mindeleff continued their research in Canyon de Chelly and Cosmos published the first authoritative archeological map of White House Ruins in 1893.

Career in archaeology and ethnology

John Wesley Powellhired Cosmos and his brother Victor in 1881, when Powell was the director of theBureau of American Ethnologyin Washington, D.C., to come west for theSmithsonian Institutionand survey the great pueblos ofArizonaandNew Mexico.After years of field-work, the Mindeleffs' field-party returned in 1888 to Washington, D.C., with their scientific findings, including many valuable archaeological artifacts.In 1890, Victor left the Smithsonian to pursue a career in architecture. In 1891, Cosmos came to Arizona to complete the stabilization of theCasa Granderuins until there was a shortage of money and the work was stopped. Cosmos left Casa Grande and began to research the extensive ruins found along theVerde Riverinstead. Accompanied by his wife Marion, Cosmos surveyed the river from its confluence with theSalt River,north to theVerde Valleyand its confluence withBeaver Creek.By the time he finished, he had catalogued more than 50 major sites.His study of the indigenous cultures of the Verde Valley was published in 1896.

Later life

After his Verde Valley study, Cosmos left the Bureau of Ethnology and became a newspaper reporter, working for theNew York World,theNew York American,and theNew York Sun,for whom he traveled extensively, living inParis,London,andFlorence, Italy,and serving as the foreign editor. He also reported fromRussiaduring theBolshevik Revolutionand fromEuropeduringWorld War I.After leaving from the newspaper business, Cosmos and Marion retired toCarmel, New York,where Marion died in 1933. Cosmos died five years later, in 1938.

Publications

• A Study of Pueblo Architecture: Tusayan and Cibola,with Victor Mindeleff
• The Cliff Ruins of Canyon de Chelly, Arizona
• Navaho Houses
• Casa Grande Ruin
• The Repair Of Casa Grande Ruin, Arizona, in 1891
• Aboriginal Remains in Verde Valley, Arizona

External links

• Works by Cosmos MindeleffatProject Gutenberg
• Manuscripts and Photographs by Cosmos Mindeleff on Smithsonian Institution Research Information Systems
• Photograph of Victor and Cosmos Mindeleff building modelsinSmithsonian Institution Archivescollections
• Entry on Cosmos MindeleffatFind A Grave
• Entry on Victor MindeleffatFind A Grave