Summary

Abstract:

The Morden-Clark Expedition, funded and planned by William James Morden and assisted by James L. Clark and a team of local guides, ventured into Central Asia in search of specimens for the Asian Hall of Mammals. The Expeditoin resulted in specimens of Ovis Poli sheep, Ibex, and Roe Deer, as well as film and photographs of the journey and the animals in their natural habitats. The Expedition set out in early 1926 and returned home in February 1927.

Chronology:

1926 January

Kashmir

The expedition crew set out on their journey with their guides from Srinagar, Kashimar in January of 1926.

1926

27 specimen of Ovis poli sheep were collected in Pamir.

Specimen of Ibex and Roe Deer were collected in Tien Shan.

The expedition spent time here re-outfitting in the capital of Chinese Turkestan before heading to Mongolia.

1926 November 1

Mongolia

The expedition entered Mongolia and members were captured by Mongolian soldiers.

1927 January 1

Peking

After leaving Mongolia, the team took the trans-Siberian Railroad to Peking (now Beijing) where the expedition ended.

Description

The Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History was a mission to gather specimens from Central Asia for use in the Asian Hall of Mammals. The expedition was funded and planned by William James Morden, a Field Associate for the Department of Mammalogy, and co-directed by James L. Clark, a noted scientist and explorer and the Assistant Director of the Museum. (1) The main objective was to secure specimens of the rare Ovis poli, also known as Marco Polo’s sheep, the likes of which already adorned the halls of the Field Museum of Chicago for some time thanks to donations by Theodore Roosevelt. (2) The expedition was successful due in part to the native people of Central Asia who served as guides and are mentioned in Morden's manuscript collection.

The team left the United States in January of 1926 and set out with their guides from Srinagar, Kashmir for the Pamir Mountains in present-day Tajikistan. The high peaks of this mountain range, which Morden called “the roof of the world” were accessed via the Gilgit-Hunza route, and this was the first time an expedition was granted permission to access this treacherous mountain passage. (3) It was in the Pamirs, the natural habitat of the sheep, that herds were recorded on film and 27 specimens were collected. The expedition’s next destination was the Tian Shan Mountains, presently located in China. Here the expedition secured specimens of Ibex and Roe Deer.

In Urumchi, the capital of Chinese Turkestan, the team re-outfitted and left for Kuchengtze on October 16 where they got camels to take them to Mongolia, which they entered on November 1. (4) The Morden-Clark team was scheduled to meet up with another museum team led by Roy Chapman-Andrews, but due to the instability and political unpredictability of in the area Chapman-Andrews backed out. (5)

In Mongolia some members of the team including Morden and Clark were captured by Mongolian Soldiers, who tied them to posts in sub-zero weather and tortured them for two days. (6) They were released and took the trans-Siberian railroad to Peking arriving there on January 1, 1927 where the expedition ended and the team returned to the United States in February 1927.

The expedition resulted not only in physical specimens along with skins, skeletons, and detailed measurements, but also a complete record of the trip in the forms of motion picture film, still photographs, and detailed field notes.

REFERENCES

(1) (3) (4) (6) American Museum of Natural History Fifty-Ninth Annual Report For the Year 1927. New York: American Museum Press.

(2) (5) William James Morden 1886-1958. Morden, Col. William James (1886-1958) African Explorer. Vertical Files, American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

Morden William J. 1929. Marco Polo's Sheep: Collecting Ovis Poli in the High Pamirs. An Account of One Phase of the Morden-Clark Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History.

PLACES

Pamir (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. It was in the Pamir Mountain range that most of the Ovis poli specimens were collected. The expedition crew accessed the mountains via the trecherous Gilgit-Hunza route.

Tien Shan (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. Specimens of Ibex and Roe Deer were collected while in the Tien Shan mountain range.

Central Asia (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. The entirety of the expedition took in Central Asia, it's purpose being to collect specimens from this area for the AMNH Asian hall of Mammals.

Kashmir (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. The expedition crew set out on their journey from Srinagar, Kashimar in January of 1926.

Ürümqi (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. The expedition spent time re-outfitting in Urumchi in Chinese Turkestan before heading to Mongolia.

Mongolia (Expedition Site) dates: 1926. The expedition traveled though Mongolia on their Journey, some members being captured by Mongolian soldiers and held there for two days.

Topics

• AMNH Expeditions

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records: