Alfred M. (Alfred Marston) Tozzer

Born in 1877, Alfred Marston Tozzer was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, linguist, and educator whose work centered especially on the Maya and the wider cultures of Mesoamerica. He became closely associated with Harvard, where his research and teaching helped establish the university as an important center for anthropological study.

Tozzer is remembered for combining field research with broad scholarly interests. His studies drew on archaeology, language, and ethnology, and he produced work that later researchers continued to use as a foundation for Maya studies. That range made him an important figure in the early development of American anthropology.

He died in 1954, leaving behind a reputation as one of the notable scholars of his generation in Mesoamerican research. For listeners interested in the history of archaeology and anthropology, his life offers a window into a period when modern study of the ancient Americas was still taking shape.