Dorothy Cross Jensen

Dorothy Cross Jensen (October 21, 1906 – February 26, 1972) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, and public educator. Her research transformed both the fields of Middle Eastern archaeology and New Jersey prehistory.

In 1936, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Oriental Studies and Anthropology. She served as an assistant curator at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, contributing to the Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra excavations in Iraq under Professor Ephraim A Speiser. Using this research, she published The Pottery of Tepe Gawra, which became a foundational document in the field of Middle Eastern ceramics. Her dissertation Moveable Property in Nuzi Documents is described as a "classic" in her field.

Early life and education Dorothy Cross was born in 1906 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Herbert Cross, an emigrant from Ramsbottom, England; and Marie MacCaughey, of Irish descent. Through translating family records, business transactions, and court proceedings on cuneiform tablets, Cross was able to examine measuring systems as well as the different values of various goods during the time. Cross' chapter became a model for later studies of Middle Eastern pottery, as Cross pioneered the first research on the subject. This project consisted of retelling New Jersey's history, and Cross was in charge of the project's budget of $250,000. Volume I consisted of descriptions of sites across New Jersey and a compilation of data that resulted from previous uneven explorations. From 1950 to 1957, Cross served as Divisional Chairwoman of the Department of Anthropology, and after 28 years of teaching became a full professor. She had a reputation for being honest and inquisitive among her students at Hunter. From 1940 to 1960, Cross also served as Program Chairwoman of the Eastern States Archaeological Federation.

Final years and death Cross never retired, though she had a host of health issues including low blood pressure and emphysema. She spent her final years in frustration as the New Jersey State Museum shifted its focus to modern art, leaving behind much of her work on the natural history of New Jersey. Cross died at age 65 of pneumonia in 1972.

Additional awards and recognition

1938-39: Recording Secretary for Eastern States Archaeological Federation 1940-60 Program Chairwoman of Eastern States Archaeological Federation 1942: Assistant Editor for the Archaeological Society of New Jersey and Eastern States Archaeological Federation 1945: Local and Program Chairwoman for Section H of American Association for the Advancement of Science 1952: Local Chairwoman for the meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in New York 1950s: Co-chairman for Anthropology at the New York Academy of Sciences 1966-68: Member of executive board and Secretary of Archaeological Society of New Jersey