The real Indiana Jones

[Naphtali]

As I became more annoyed with "Adventurer's" threads on the forum, I decided to create yet another while inserting a smidgen of history. Here is the man whose name everyone recognizes, whose face few recognize.

Who is whom? 1931 1925 at his Peking HQ
1928 Central Asiatic Expedition gets under way
In the Gobi Desert
With Merin in the Gobi Route finding in the Gobi
Getting around the Gobi
Successful Gobi antelope hunt Surveying the desert

 

[Naphtali]

1923 First dinosaur eggs discovered At the Flaming Cliffs
Still with Olsen at the Flaming Cliffs Excavating with Granger
Feeding his eagle chicks Relaxing in night camp
Roy Chapman Andrews, the real Indiana Jones.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Can I just call him Indiana Andrews? [huh]

.

 

[The Wolf]

He seems like he might be the real "Johnny" Littlejohn from the Doc Savage stories.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Naphtali]

For those who might be interested, Andrews wore a Colt Official Police (41 frame) chambered for 38 Special. His preferred rifles were Savage Model 99 in 250-3000 and Mannlicher-Shoenauer in 6.5 x 54 mm Mannlicher. And while his body count was not as high as Indiana Jones', there was a body count in the Gobi. North-central China and Mongolia were dangerous places during the 1920s.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Certainly seems more intersting than dressing up like Indiana Jones and striking a pose on vacation.

 

[DeaconKC]

I remember reading his works when I was a kid. I will have to find them again.

 

[Naphtali]

Did I mention he was an American spy during World War I? I'm using only slight hyperbole.

 

[Gatsby84]

I recall reading a story about Andrews and another member of the Central Asiatic Expedition going scouting in a car away from the main group and coming upon, or being attacked by bandits. To deter said bandits he drove straight at them firing toward their ranks. As the story read, if I recall correctly, the bandits were so unaccustomed to this they didn't know what to do so they ran off in the opposite direction.

R. C. Andrews brings to mind the epitome of the adventurer.

-Allen

 

[carter]

A few years ago, Viking Adult [press] published "Dragon Hunter - Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions" by Charles Gallencamp. It's a good read.

 

[Tomasso]

The real Indiana Jones

You mean the closest real life character to IJ? Lord, there are dozens of guys who could fill the bill.

 

[tecolote]

When I was 4,way back when my mother read me his book "All About Dinosaurs". Never outgrew dinos,even 50+ years later,and still have the book...
From the photos, it looks as though his Colt has a 6 inch barrel and is in an Audley holster. Strictly,speaking, it was probably an Army Special, same gun,different name from 1926 on,and I believe the photos are earlier.Still I'd
love to find a good pre-war example of either.
By the way,Ian Fleming had Bond use a Savage 99 in .250-3000 in "View to a Kill".


Thanks for all the photos.

Regards,
Tecolote

 

[bobalooba]

Why is the book called dragon hunter?

 

[Naphtali]

Why is the book called dragon hunter?

In Mongolia at the time of the Central Asiatic Expeditions (1921-1928), indeigenous population knew of myriad fossilized remains of dinosaurs. "Dragon" was something beneficial, that is, good luck.

Carter, is this information more or less accurate?

 

[HungaryTom]

In Mongolia at the time of the Central Asiatic Expeditions (1921-1928), indeigenous population knew of myriad fossilized remains of dinosaurs. "Dragon" was something beneficial, that is, good luck.

Carter, is this information more or less accurate?

I read somewhere that traditional Chinese medicine used a lots of fossile funds teeth fangs, horns etc. of fossilized animals (not only of poached rhinos, tigers, stags etc.) so paleontology benefited a lot from this -finding paleontological creatures in medicine shops however nobody knows how many funds were lost to science when they were grinded and processed - same as today with traded smuggled paleontological funds are etc.
Gobi and Mongolia is as important in terms of Dinosaurs finds as it is the West of the USA.