I do not recall exactly when I first met Sam Brookes, but it was sometime in the early 1970s when we were both puttering around the Yazoo Basin and Sam began to be involved with the Lower Mississippi Survey (see Figure F.1). He has always been a congenial colleague and a good source of archaeological information, as well as other interesting tidbits. Often in the mail over the years there would be a welcome surprise from him: a clipping, picture, or doggerel of the sort not acceptable in polite company but always illuminating. One of the tamer items was a poem in which the narrator surmised that archaeologists “sifting the sands / of faraway lands,” are known to “learnedly quarrel and bicker,” but though “rife with degrees / their hypotheses / Still improve when enlightened by liquor.”1
Then, in November 1985, a more serious document arrived: I received Form 49 prescribed by the US Civil Service Commission (FPM Chapter 736-5049-106, approved OMB Number 50-RO576). It informed me that BROOKES, Samuel Owen, was an applicant for the position of archaeologist with the USDA Forest Service and I was requested to “help determine whether this person is loyal, trustworthy, and of good character.” I was instructed to respond to three simple questions:
1. “Has this person ever been fired from any job for any reason?” Well, that was an easy “No” as far as I knew.
2. “Do you have any reason to question this person’s loyalty to the United States?” Certainly a “No,” for Sam is as red-white-and-blue as any redneck I know.
3. “Is this person reliable, honest, trustworthy, and of good character?” This was a bit harder, but after wrestling with my conscience—for those were mighty hefty attributes akin to sainthood—I of course hit the “Yes” box.
And then I sent it off to the feds.
But I could not resist. I had xeroxed the form before filling it out and on this copy I altered my response to question 3: I checked “No,” added an explanation involving some (fabricated) personal tendencies of questionable nature, and sent this copy to Sam without any further comment. Well, I noticed the next time I saw him at SEAC that Sam seemed to be avoiding me. But eventually the truth was revealed and he forgave the prank (at least I hope he has!).
Figure F.1. Sam Brookes (back row, leaning against right post) representing Mississippi at the Lower Mississippi Valley Conference on Avery Island in 1978. Other participants (from top row, left to right) included Ian Brown, Bruce Smith, Stu Neitzel, Jon Muller, John Belmont; (front row, left to right) Steve Williams, Jimmy Griffin, Cynthia Price, Jim Price, Phil Phillips, Alan Toth, Bob Neuman, Jeff Brain, Dan Morse, and Bill Haag. Photo courtesy of Ian Brown.
Of course he got the job, for which we may all be thankful since it has been a platform from which Sam has gone on to make many contributions to the archaeology of Mississippi and beyond. His work has always been solid and informative, and the papers in this volume attest to the breadth of his research. Witness the range of topics that touch upon his organizational ability, pioneering efforts in the field, consideration of climatic as well as climactic events, preference for the earlier eras of prehistory, and focus on stone artifacts.
As a pottery man, I never quite understood Sam’s devotion to lithics, but I was always grateful that we had such a deft hand to deal with those matters. On those rare occasions when I ventured into his realm, he very graciously tolerated my efforts and even shared my infamy on occasion. For example, in a 1977 letter he wrote: “One noted archaeologist sent me several pages which disputed every statement I made concerning Dalton and ended up by saying that you and I are very similar—both troublemakers who get our kicks upsetting folks. I was very proud of that.”
You should be proud, Sam. You’ve done a great job of “sifting the sands.”
1. William J. Frey, “Ye Hearty Archaeologists.” 1997. https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ (accessed August 20, 2014).