Alfred W. Bowers’ work epitomized the direct historical approach in Plains anthropology. Bowers integrated archaeology, ethnohistory, and ethnology in his studies of the tribes of the Middle Missouri subarea. Yet his archaeological and historical research and interpretations have not been widely recognized. Bowers’ 1948 dissertation, A History of the Mandan and Hidatsa, and associated collections, have only recently become easily accessible. Bowers’ dissertation employed oral history and tradition, ethnohistoric accounts, and archaeological data to develop accounts of Mandan and Hidatsa history supported by independent lines of evidence. The culture-historical system he developed for Mandan and Hidatsa prehistory and history is a valuable framework for structuring and understanding Middle Missouri archaeology and cultural sequences and relationships. We review Bowers’ career, assess the significance of his work, and discuss the associated collections and their research potential.

中文翻译：

---

Alfred W. Bowers 的 Mandan 和 Hidatsa 的历史：平原人类学的重要资源

阿尔弗雷德·W·鲍尔斯 (Alfred W. Bowers) 的工作体现了平原人类学中直接的历史方法。Bowers 在他对中密苏里分区部落的研究中整合了考古学、民族史和民族学。然而，他的考古和历史研究和解释并未得到广泛认可。鲍尔斯 1948 年的论文，曼丹和日达萨的历史，以及相关的收藏，直到最近才变得容易阅读。Bowers 的论文采用口述历史和传统、民族历史记载和考古数据，以独立证据支持对曼丹和 Hidatsa 历史的记载。他为 Mandan 和 Hidatsa 史前史和历史开发的文化-历史系统是构建和理解密苏里中部考古学以及文化序列和关系的宝贵框架。我们回顾了鲍尔斯的职业生涯，评估了他工作的重要性，并讨论了相关的藏品及其研究潜力。