04/01/2009

We’ve received confirmation that the Amblin Museum of Antiquities in Chicago will be hosting a tour of artifacts procured by the late world-renowned archaeologist, Professor Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. The traveling exhibit will give a detailed history of Professor Jones’ travels across the globe and the numerous discoveries that he made. Highlights of the exhibit include: a sacred Sankara Stone, a Chachapoyan golden fertility idol, the Cross of Coronado, Jones’ diary and numerous sketches from digs, and even personal artifacts from his time as an Allied spy during World War I and World War II. The tour kicks off in Jones' hometown of Princeton, New Jersey and honored guests will include Jones' two children Henry Jones III and Mrs. Henrietta Jones Steele, and two granchildren Spike Jones and Lucy M. Jones.

As many of you know, Professor Jones was the preeminent archaeologist of his time, rivaled only in modern history by Howard Carter. Just in case you’ve missed the last half-century of archaeological discovery, please read the featured biography of Dr. Jones found below.

Stay tuned to find out when the exhibit will be in a city near you.

Biography of Professor Jones

Born in Princeton, New Jersey on July 1, 1899 Henry Jones, Jr. grew up in a well-educated middle-class family. His father was a Medieval Literature professor at nearby Princeton University, giving Jones his appreciation and love of history at an early age.

Young Henry on Safari in Africa with Theodore Roosevelt

When young Henry was eight years old, his father was commissioned to participate in a lecture tour that would take his family all over the world. It was on this extended journey that Henry would begin to develop into the future archaeologist and preservationist we remember him to be. In fact, while visiting Egypt, Henry met and briefly worked with Mr. Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb of Egyptian King, Tutankhamen. Jones would later write that, while he didn’t appreciate it at the time, the people he met and places he saw on this journey determined his future.

Jones was a well-known linguist of both modern and ancient languages. He credits his boyhood trip to China as being the catalyst for his love and appreciation of language. While in China, Jones was appalled at the use of Pidgin and the insistence by Westerners that Chinese natives use it in communication with them. He decided that it should be up to the visiting or intruding cultures to learn the native language and tradition, not vice versa. Upon his death, Jones boasted a knowledge of over 27 languages, some of which he was of only one or two known speakers.

Jones Fighting as a Belgian Soldier in WWI

In 1916 at age sixteen, Jones ran away to Britain where he lied about his age and nationality in order to join the Belgian Army. From there he was whisked away to the Western Front of World War I. Jones, who by this point had given himself the nickname “Indiana,” quickly rose through the ranks and experienced a plethora of assignments. He fought in France, Belgium, East Africa, and served as an Allied spy in Russia, Istanbul, Morocco, Beersheba, and numerous other places. Jones also served as a translator at the Paris Peace Conference following the war.

In 1920, Jones enrolled at the University of Chicago where he studied archaeology under his mentor, Abner Ravenwood. After Chicago he once again traveled to France where he completed his graduate studies, earning a degree in linguistics. It was during his time in France that Jones befriended his future rival, Rene Belloq. Jones then moved to England where he was employed to teach archaeology at the University of London.

Klaus Vhornsteinder claims to have pursued Jones and his father

By the mid-1930’s Jones held a doctoral degree in archaeology and was regarded as one of the best archaeologists in the United States where he was a professor at Marshall College. It was around this time that he was “employed” by the US Government to investigate strange activities involving the Nazis. The exact nature of Jones’ involvement is still top secret, but documents and accounts have surfaced that indicate Jones was examining Hitler’s involvement in the occult. Some historians even speculate that Hitler was searching for religiously powerful artifacts like the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. Jones never denied or confirmed his involvement in these investigations of Hitler, but numerous former Nazis reported seeing and even hunting Jones. One Nazi account indicates that Hitler himself ordered the tracking and capture of not just “Indiana” but also his father. The elder Jones’ celebrated knowledge of the Holy Grail undoubtedly has led many to speculate that the Nazis were after him to assist them in acquiring the Grail.

Jones in England prior to the 1944 Invasion of Europe

When World War II began, Jones was called upon by the Allies to once again use his diverse knowledge of culture and language to spy on the Germans. Serving in the Office of Strategic Services with Sophia Hapgood, little is known of Jones’ full involvement in the war. Historians suspect that he was heavily involved in the planning of the D-Day invasion, however there is little and sometimes obscure evidence to support this claim.

The post-war years saw Jones continuing to teach archaeology at Barnett College where he published numerous books. Occasionally the CIA would call on him to assist in obtaining “rare antiquities” before communist rivals could do so.

Professor Jones is credited with making several of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th Century. These include: the Knife of Cain, Noah’s Ark, the Heart of the Dragon, the Sankara Stones, and the Crystal Skull of Akator. He’s also widely credited with discovering the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, however, there is no hard evidence to verify acquisition of these treasures.

An elderly Jones in 1994

Jones eventually married Marion Ravenwood and they had two children, Henry Jones III and Henrietta Jones. After living for nearly an entire century, Jones died on June 1, 1999 just one month shy of his 100th birthday. Henry Jones, Jr. left behind a legacy that adventurers and archaeologists attempt to live up to but can only dream of.

Happy April Fool's!!