Charles R. Keyes | |
|---|---|
 1920 Yearbook Photo | |
| Born | Charles Reuben Keyes May 5, 1871 Mount Vernon, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 1951 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cornell College, Harvard University |
| Known for | first descriptions of the Mississippian culture |
| Spouse | Sarah Mary Nauman |
| Children | Catherine Keyes, Margaret Naumann Keyes |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Archaeology |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley, Cornell College |
Charles Reuben Keyes (May 5, 1871 – July 23, 1951) was a pioneering American archaeologist and linguist based in Iowa, known as the founder of modern Iowa archaeology. He is, with Ellison Orr (1857-1951), considered a key person to gaining protection for the Effigy Mounds National Monument, established by Congress in 1949 to protect hundreds of prehistoric earthworks built by indigenous Native American cultures.
Keyes is known as the first American researcher to describe the Mississippian culture, the last great moundbuilding culture. Many of its major earthworks had been drawn and recorded in the late 19th century by researchers for the Smithsonian Institution, but he also used evidence from artifacts to describe its culture. In support of regional research, Keyes organized the Iowa Archaeological Survey in 1922 and encouraged founding in 1951 of the Iowa Archeological Society.