Charles Rau

author

Charles Rau

1826–1887

A German-educated archaeologist who helped shape the Smithsonian’s early anthropology collections, he wrote widely on Native American lifeways and archaeology in the late 19th century. His work connected museum building, field research, and public education at a time when American archaeology was still taking form.

1 Audiobook

North American Stone Implements

North American Stone Implements

by Charles Rau

About the author

Born in Belgium in 1826 and educated at the University of Heidelberg, he emigrated to the United States in 1848. Before joining the Smithsonian, he taught foreign languages in Illinois and New York City while pursuing his own research on the Indigenous peoples of North America.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives describe him as an archaeologist who became Resident Collaborator in Ethnology at the United States National Museum in 1875. He was given responsibility for preparing the Smithsonian's anthropological exhibits for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, a major public showcase for the young museum.

From 1881 until his death in 1887, he served as Curator of the Department of Archeology at the United States National Museum. He published articles and books on Native Americans and archaeology, and many of his writings appeared in Smithsonian publications, helping establish the museum's early reputation in anthropology and archaeology.