(1805–52), U.S. traveler and archaeologist, born in Shrewsbury, N.J.; his exploration of Maya ruins in Central America and Mexico generated the archaeology of Middle America; bored with practice of law and advised to travel for reasons of health, journeyed through eastern Europe and the Middle East and wrote two popular travel books 1834; traveled to Central America and discovered Maya ruins 1839, published ‘Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan' (1841) and ‘Incidents of Travel in Yucatan' (1843).