Mark Lincoln Papworth

(1931 -- 2003)Mark Lincoln Papworth, 72, passed away in Tucson, Arizona on April 13, 2003. Mark had numerous degrees and talents, and lived a rich life full of amazing experiences. He earned a master's and a doctorate from the University of Michigan in Anthropology and Human Biology. His principal interest was in Human Evolution, and he studied blood group relationships before the discovery of DNA. He started his career as the acting Curator of the Great Lakes in the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, where he wrote his dissertation on the Geology and Archeology of the Great Lakes. Mark became an arctic specialist because of his interest in the peopling of the New World. To this end, he studied geology, linguistics, biogeography, and paleontology, as well as various Eskimo language dialects and Russian.His field work included a National Science Foundation grant for U.N.E.S.C.O. to establish an archaeological salvage program to preserve artifacts that would otherwise be destroyed by the building of the Aswan Dam. He found himself in Sudanese Nubia knowing not one word of either Arabic or Nubi. A gifted polyglot, Mark soon conquered Arabic. He was a master logician, and thrived on organizing and completing excavations.In the 1960s, Mark was a popular classroom lecturer at the University of Colorado and Oberlin College, hosted an educational TV program, and traveled the world as an instructor with the Semester At Sea program. In 1972 he joined The Evergreen State College as a founding faculty, and taught there for 25 years. He was a larger-than-life presence; his lectures were colorful, animated, and spellbinding.Mark volunteered his services to many local law enforcement agencies, where his archaeological talents assisted in homicide investigations. He taught crime scene investigation at the Washington State Police Academy, and served as the Chief Deputy Coroner for Thurston County. Over the years, Mark worked on excavations scattered around the world; he dug in Mexico, Israel, Michigan, Washington State, and the Sudan. In Egypt, he worked in the Valley of the Kings for the Egyptian Antiquities Service, locating forgotten tombs. Villagers from the surrounding village of Gurna fondly renamed Professor Papworth as Abu Ramadi -- translated as "father of the Ashes" -- because of his striking white hair. After his retirement from teaching, he joined one of his oldest friends, Doug Peacock, in analyzing and publishing materials from the Anzick site in Montana.Mark was a poet, tenor, and artist who inspired others. He was never without a project, and designed and built a range of things, including several homes, the Tumwater airport terminal, experimental airplanes, and alternative fuel cars. He loved to tinker with boats and motorcycles. Mark continued his creative life by making furniture incorporating mesquite wood and granite, loving the Arizona desert, and adoring his wife, Linda.Dr. Papworth is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Linda Brownell Papworth; his two daughters, Carol and Gail Papworth; two appointed sons, Doug Peacock and Dr. Steven Best; his Alaskan Malamutes, Bailey and Whisper; as well as a myriad of students and colleagues from his decades as a teacher, lecturer, friend, and mentor. There will be a raucous party in his honor at the family home in Green Valley, Arizona on May 4th. Donations in his memory can be made to the Alaskan Malamute Assistance League at www.malamuterescue.org.