Born: 1824 (New York)
Died: 1891
Biography:
Frances Franc Eliza Babbitt (1824–1891) was a schoolteacher in Minnesota and an archaeologist who significantly influenced early debates about the Paleolithic Era in North America, also known as the American Paleolithic. Babbitt’s pioneering work in archaeology, particularly her collection and analysis of quartz tools and other artifacts from the Little Falls, Minnesota area, earned her recognition as one of the few women actively participating in this scientific discipline at the time.
Born on January 24, 1824, in New York, Babbitt embarked on a career as a schoolteacher at the age of 20. In 1873, she relocated to Cold Water, Michigan, before settling in Little Falls, Minnesota, in 1878 to continue her teaching profession.
While primarily working as a schoolteacher, Babbitt’s passion and curiosity in archaeology led her to become an accomplished amateur in the field. She actively engaged with the local Ojibwe Indian reservation, where she gleaned valuable insights from the indigenous people, contributing to her scholarly articles.
In 1879, Babbitt made a momentous discovery on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minnesota. Digging through a washout and wagon rut that cut 15 feet below the surrounding ground surface, she unearthed thousands of quartz objects. Recognizing the importance of her findings, Babbitt shared her discoveries with esteemed archaeologists and scientists, including Alexander Newton Winchell, Frederic W. Putnam, Warren Upham, Charles Abbott, Henry W. Haynes, Charles Rau, and Otis Mason.
In February 1880, Babbitt presented her findings at the Department of American History at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. This marked the first academic recognition of her groundbreaking research. Collaborating with Warren Upham, she prepared a paper on her discoveries for the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1883, held in Minneapolis. The subsequent publication of their paper in the Proceedings of the meeting propelled Babbitt’s work into the wider scientific community.
Babbitt argued in her influential paper that humans had created the quartz objects she discovered and that they had not been disturbed or moved. The presentation of the quartz objects at the AAAS meeting in Philadelphia in 1884 further deepened the debates surrounding the history of human activities during the Ice Age in America. Her comprehensive descriptions of the objects fueled rigorous discussions and investigations.
In the following year, Babbitt authored an article for the American Naturalist, presenting her evidence for the existence of glacial man in Minnesota. Her work challenged prevailing beliefs and contributed to the ongoing study of prehistoric societies.
However, her findings faced opposition from some prominent archaeologists, notably William H. Holmes. Holmes argued that the quartz objects were more modern and were actually rejects from a quarry. He also criticized the credentials of Babbitt and her collaborators. The debate regarding the Babbitt finds persisted even after her passing, continuing into the 1890s.
Ultimately, subsequent research demonstrated that Babbitt’s discoveries were naturefacts, quartz objects created by natural processes rather than human activity. Despite the eventual debunking of her findings, Babbitt’s contributions to early archaeology in North America remain significant.
Frances Eliza Babbitt made history as one of the first women to join the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1883, thanks to the support and recognition from Frederic W. Putnam. Her work and perseverance as an archaeologist challenged gender norms in the field, highlighting her enduring influence on women’s history.