Eric--

        The character of Indiana Jones probably was a composite of many
archaeologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  One
of these was Gerard Fowke, who worked in the Southeastern United States
for the Smithsonian Institution.  Known as Kentucky Q. Smith, he
apparently was quite a character.  (cf. Jeter and Williams 1989, in
Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of the Lower Mississippi Valley and
Trans-Mississippi South in Arkansas and Louisiana).

Tom Gannon
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On Fri, 19 Apr 1996, Eric Siegel wrote:

>    The book skeletons in the attic refers to an AMNH archaeologist who
>    was apparently the model for Indiana Jones.  The name escapes me, but
>    apparently he was a seriously big wheel in those circles (or is it
>    spheres).  He wore the same kinda hat, was a big time adventurer in, I
>    believe, the Gobi Desert principally..  I'll clear up this info if
>    anyone here expresses any interest.
>
>    Eric Siegel
>    [log in to unmask]
>