author
Charles H. (Charles Herron) Fairbanks
1913–1985
A pioneering American archaeologist and anthropologist, he helped shape the study of the Southeast’s past through careful fieldwork and influential teaching. His books on Florida archaeology and the Seminole people brought scholarly research to a wider audience.
1 Audiobook
Hawkins-Davison Houses, Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia
by Margaret Davis Cate, Charles H. (Charles Herron) Fairbanks
About the author
Born in 1913, Charles Herron Fairbanks became one of the key figures in American archaeology, especially in the Southeast. He is remembered for work at Ocmulgee National Monument in Georgia and for helping establish rigorous excavation methods at a time when archaeology was becoming more systematic.
Fairbanks also played an important role as a teacher and academic leader. At the University of Florida, he chaired the anthropology department from 1963 to 1970 and helped launch its graduate program, influencing many students who went on to work in archaeology and anthropology.
As an author, he wrote and co-wrote books including The Florida Seminole People and Florida Archaeology. Library records sometimes list his death year as 1985, but memorial and university sources identify his death as occurring in 1984.