Spring Break in South Carolina

by qjjfc

IUP Students on Pockoy Island

Over spring break, a group of IUP students traveled to South Carolina with Dr. Andrea Palmiotto to assist the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) with an excavation. The Pockoy Island Shell Ring Complex is a Late Archaic (5000-3000 B.P) archaeological complex in Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve on Edisto Island.  The complex consists of at least two rings.  With sea levels rising, thousands of coastal sites in the Southeast face destruction. Archaeologists have been working to protect these sites, but in some cases, the best option is to excavate and collect as much data as possible before the site is destroyed. On Pockoy Island, one shell ring was previously excavated, and it has since been destroyed with the eroding shoreline. Now, SCDNR is working to excavate the second ring before it meets the same fate.

Fig Island 1 structure rising above the marsh

Shell rings are a unique feature of Southeastern coastal archaeology. They consist of mounds of shells, usually oyster or clam shells, arranged in a circle around a central open area, referred to as a plaza. These sites contain some of the earliest known pottery in North America. While they are mostly constructed from domestic refuse and have therefore been associated with residential villages, their scale and design have led archaeologists to question what other uses these works represent, such as ceremonial purposes.

An exposed feature in an excavation block

IUP professor Dr. Palmiotto frequently works with SCDNR, and multiple IUP graduate students are currently working on collections from coastal sites in South Carolina. Before joining SCDNR archaeologists at Pockoy Island, Students traveled to the renowned Fig Island Shell Ring Complex to observe site conditions at one of the most well-preserved and unique shell ring complexes in South Carolina, and they also had the opportunity to conduct shovel tests at the Indian Point site within the Heritage Preserve. At the Pockoy site, students worked on screening soil from test units to find artifacts, such as pottery fragments. They also assisted with photogrammetry on a large, excavated block that exhibited numerous subsurface features.

The excavations on Pockoy Island are a good example of the work archaeologists are engaged in to mitigate the effects of climate change on archaeological sites. Not only was the excavation experience good for the students, but they also had the opportunity to learn how land management agencies like SCDNR operate generally, as well as how they are responding to a rapidly changing environment.

Graduate Research Spotlight: Elena Vories

by qjjfc

Elena Vories is finishing up her second year here at IUP. For the last two years she has been the director of the Pennsylvania Highway Archaeological Survey Team with PennDOT. Her thesis research is on the Green’s Shell Enclosure site, a shell ring in South Carolina. Green’s Shell Enclosure, a Mississippian site dated to approximately 1275-1425 CE, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shell rings are common on the southeast coast of the United States. They generally consist of accumulations of refuse, primarily oyster shells. Due to their scale and design, archaeologists have been trying to determine other purposes these rings could have served.

Green’s Shell Enclosure

Elena carried out excavations on the site in January, 2025. Her work included both shovel test pits and 1×1 meter test units. Elena excavated shell ridges in the interior of the ring and found animal bones and Irene phase pottery. Her goals included determining whether these anomalies were contemporaneous with the ring, and the presence of Irene phase pottery supports this hypothesis. She is currently working on analysis of the artifacts she excavated, and she is working to build an understanding of how this site fits into the broader Mississippian tradition in the Southeast.

Monongahela Material Culture

by qjjfc

Recreation of a Monongahela village

Since 2016, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has conducted a biennial field school at the Squirrel Hill site. Squirrel Hill is an archeological site representing the largest Monongahela village yet discovered. The Monongahela cultural tradition represents peoples who shared material culture as shown in the archaeological record. Some of the traits of this tradition include shell tempered pottery, ceramic pipes, cannel coal pendants, triangular projectile points, bone beads, and circular palisaded villages with a central open plaza.

Extent of Monongahela Cultural Tradition

When Europeans arrived in North America, the Monongahela culture occupied a large area of the Upper Ohio Valley. There is no evidence that these people interacted with Europeans, but they were acquiring European trade goods through other indigenous peoples. It is believed that European contact brought about disease, warfare, and social unrest that would eventually cause all traces of this culture to disappear from the area by 1635. Others suggest that the Monongahela were dispersed or absorbed by the Seneca or other Haudenosaunee (Iroquoian) groups out of competition for fur trade routes and hunting grounds. Now, archaeologists consult with Haudenosaunee when working on Monongahela sites.

McFate Incised pottery

A collection of projectile points, drills, scrapers, and preforms.

Archaeologists who study the Monongahela tradition divide it into the Early period (1050-1250 AD), Early Middle period (1250-1450 AD), Late Middle period (1450-1590 AD), and the Late/Protohistoric period (1590-1635 AD). These periods are further divided into phases that are defined by both geographic location and technology, primarily ceramics. For example, the Squirrel Hill site is categorized within the Johnston Phase, which is distinguished by the presence of “McFate incised” pottery. The phase is also characterized by short bone beads, ground hematite cobbles, and the absence of cannel coal pendants. The protohistoric Foley Farm Phase is distinguished by the presence of European trade goods like brass, iron, and glass beads.

Since this cultural tradition disappeared before being contacted by Europeans, there is little information in the historical record. Archaeological research is uniquely suited to piecing together the story of this group of people. We do this by analyzing and interpreting materials in the archaeological record. IUP students and professors have been able to contribute much to our understanding of this culture through excavations at the Squirrel Hill site.

 

Celebrating National Women’s History Month: Inspiring Past and Present Female Archaeologists (repost)

by qjjfc

In honor of National Women’s History Month, here is a post written by former Public Archaeology Assistant Bridget Roddy. This is a great tribute to the women who have worked and continue to work in the field of archaeology.

There have been and continue to be inspiring women in archaeology that have contributed much to our understanding of history, archaeology, and the world around us! While there are many historical female archaeologists, we also seek to highlight and honor some of those within our IUP walls today that are contributing to our knowledge and interests about science, society, and the world.

Dr. Lara Homsey-Messer is a current IUP professor, and a geoarchaeologist with an MA in geology (2003) and PhD in archaeology (2004); both from the University of Pittsburgh. After instructing and teaching at University of Pittsburgh for several years, and then teaching at Murray State University in Kentucky for nine years, she began teaching at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014. She teaches courses ranging from environmental archaeology and geoarchaeology, to the prehistory of North America. As an appointed Graduate Coordinator for the Applied Archaeology master’s program in 2017, she has guided students through intensive coursework and innovative thesis work. She has also contributed through her own studies and research, in journals such as the American Antiquity, Geoarchaeology, and Southeastern Archaeology. In 2019 she published Experiencing Archaeology: a Laboratory Manual of Classroom Activities, Demonstrations, and Mini-Labs for Introductory Archaeology. She is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), part of the Society for American Archaeology, and the Geological Society of America. She also recently took on the role of Editor-in-Chief of North American Archaeologist. During her time at IUP she has received the IUP President’s Recognition for Achievement in Scholarship three times (2015, 2016, & 2017). Her work and efforts are a credit to all female archaeologists, and she deserves praise for all that she is contributing to our understanding of the past.

Dr. Andrea Palmiotto is also a current IUP professor, an archaeologist specializing in zooarchaeology, and a board-certified forensic anthropologist. She received her MA and PhD in anthropology from the University of Florida. She has worked for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, leading field recoveries in Vietnam and Laos to analyze and identify skeletal materials belonging to US casualties from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She also directs an IUP forensic archaeology field school in Germany. She guides students through coursework including topics on human osteology, zooarchaeology, and forensic anthropology, to name a few. Her personal research has been published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Journal of Archaeological Science, Southeastern Archaeology, and more. She is an RPA and a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Society for American Archaeology, Council of South Carolina Professional Archaeologists, and Southeastern Archaeology Conference. She has also received the highest professional certification through the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She also led through 2021-2022 the formation of a digital textbook, or Open Educational Resource (OER), to be used in introductory anthropology courses; titled Introduction to Anthropology: Holistic and Applied Research on Being Human. She too has, and continues to, contribute valuable information to our knowledge about history, and is a woman deserving of recognition for all that she has accomplished.

There are many female archaeologists in the past that are now recognized as being trailblazers, some that did not get the recognition that they deserved during their time, and also many that are still alive today making incredible discoveries.

Dame Kathleen Kenyon (1906-1978) is a commonly referenced archaeologist who was the first female president of the Oxford University Archaeological Society. She developed the Wheeler-Kenyon grid method, to better understand soil layers. She became the leading English archaeologist of the Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent during her lifetime. Her work at Jerusalem and Jericho (excavated Tell es-Sultan 1952-1958) led to the knowledge that the ancient site of Jericho was the oldest continuously occupied settlement in history, the oldest and lowest town in the world. She served as director of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and later as the principal of St. Hugh’s College at Oxford until she retired in 1973. Being in a different county other than Britain, she was able to move into positions of power, albeit through imperial links, but still positions of authority that she would most likely not have been able to occupy in the UK as a woman, giving her the opportunity to excavate new sites and contribute to history as an impressive and defining female archaeologist that led the way for more to come.

Jane Dieulafoy (1851-1916) was a French archaeologist, writer, and explorer, known for excavating the site of Susa along with her husband, in the late 1800s. She fought in the Franco-Prussian War, later traveling through Persia to Susa dressed in men’s clothes (trousers were illegal for women to wear in France during that time) with her hair cut short. She labeled, mapped, photographed, and reconstructed remains and finds, all new field recording methods for their time.

American archaeologist and anthropologist Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall (1857-1933) was the first to identify artifacts that dated back to the pre-Aztec period, as she specialized in pre-Aztec Mexican cultures and pre-Columbian manuscripts. She even recovered two manuscripts that were housed in private collections, essentially lost to the scientific world, one being the Codex Zouche-Nuttall.

Mary Brodrick (1858-1933) was a French woman who was initially turned away by male scholars at the Sorbonne in Paris, before she found there were no rules against studying archaeology; she became the first female student to be admitted to the prestigious institution. She became one of the first female excavators in Egypt.

Despite many barriers Maud Cunnington (1869-1951) faced as a female, such as not being able to legally own land as a married woman, she was eventually recognized for her contributions to archaeology. Along with her husband Ben Cunnington, she excavated the Neolithic burial mound at Woodhenge from 1926-1929, eventually purchasing and gifting Woodhenge and The Sanctuary (a Neolithic structure near Avebury) to the British nation. They even raised money to buy Stonehenge and the surrounding land for future public ownership. She was the first female president of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, the second women ever to be nominated as an honorary fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and she was distinguished as a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1948.

Margaret Murray (1863-1963) is also a well-recognized female archaeologist of the early 20th century. She was the first female lecturer of archaeology in the U.K., teaching at the University College London. She specialized in Egyptology and excavated in Malta, Menorca, and even Palestine.

Gertrude Bell (1868-1926), also known as the “Mother of Mesopotamian Archaeology,” was the second woman to graduate from Oxford University in the U.K. She traveled to many archaeological sites in the Middle East, along with T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”), becoming one of Europe’s foremost experts on Arab culture while she was alive, while also leading digs in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. She was also the Director of Antiquities in Iraq, founding the Iraq Archaeological Museum in Baghdad in 1926.

Harriet Boyd Hawes (1871-1945) traveled to Crete and discovered, among many other sites, Gournia, the first Minoan settlement ever unearthed. Not only did she supervise around a hundred working men and women alike, but she was also able to publish her findings in a report still referenced today.

Dorothea Bate (1878-1951) was the first women employed as a scientist by the Natural History Museum of London; cataloguing collections until she was publishing her own scientific articles and work, all while traveling the world looking for fossils. She not only discovered many new species and fossils, but she paved the way for future researchers to better identify their own paleontological discoveries.

Born in Crete, Anna Apostolaki (1881-1958) was the first woman to be a member of the Archaeological Society of Athens, one of the first female graduates from the University of Athens, and the first curator of the National Museum of Decorative Arts in 1926, where she published a catalogue on Coptic textiles. A woman with power in the age of men, she was also the founder of the Lyceum Club of Greek Women.

Gertrude Caton-Thompson (1888-1985) worked at sites in Egypt, Malta, Zimbabwe, and South Arabia. Her 1929 Zimbabwe dig was entirely excavated by women! She methodically excavated in 10×30 ft intervals and was the first archaeologist to use aerial surveys of the land to locate sites; these are methods still used today, essentially revolutionizing the way sites were studied and surveyed.

Dorothy Garrod (1892-1968) was the first female professor at Cambridge and led excavations at 23 sites throughout seven countries. Her work uncovered the first evidence of the Middle Stone Age and the first evidence of dog domestication. She led an incredible all-female excavation team at Mount Carmel that discovered the Tabun Neanderthal fossils. Another female of note that was active in this excavation was Yusra, a local Palestinian village woman, who actually pulled the single tooth from a sieve that led to the identification of Tabun 1. Yusra has now been credited by the Smithsonian for her find!

Tessa Verney Wheeler (1893-1936) was a British archaeologist, who along with her husband, Mortimer Wheeler, led excavations, such as the at the Iron Age hill fort at Maiden Castle, at which she was instrumental in gathering funding from the public due to her advocacy work. Wheeler and her husband were some of the first to film of their excavations to bring them to the public. She instructed many other female archaeologists on excavation techniques, her scientific approach to archaeology, and the recordation of small finds; these include Kathleen Kenyon, Beatrice de Cardi, Veronica Seton-Williams, Ione Gedye, Molly Cotton, and Egyptologist Margaret Drower. She also aided in the development of the Institute of Archaeology in London.

German mathematician Maria Reiche (1903-1998) studied the Nazca Lines of Peru in 1940, showed their mathematical accuracy, and suggested that they were related to astronomy. This brought more attention to these ancient areas, and by demonstrating their significance it aided in their preservation and protection.

Lady Aileen Fox (1907-2005) was one of the first female lecturers in archaeology, working at University College of the Southwest at Exter. The Richborough Roman Fort was the site of her first excavation, where she later developed a small museum on the site without training, as during her time there was little training available on how to do so. While struggling to create a new archaeology department at the University, Fox fought to show the world the value of archaeology, and all it has to offer.

Russian Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909-1985) was an architect-turned-Mayan architecture and hieroglyphic interpreter. She produced reconstructions of Mayan architecture through plans and drawings. She was also the first to suggest that Mayan hieroglyphs contained dynastic histories, as well as calendrical information, which led to the decipherment of many hieroglyphs.

Jacquetta Hawkes (1910-1996) was focused on pioneering public archaeology, after digging in England, Ireland, and even Palestine. Her approach to interpreting archaeological evidence was more humanistic, leading to her suggestion that the Minoan society could have been ruled by women. She applied public archaeology techniques, spreading her theory by using newspapers, books, TV interviews, and even through the radio.

North American archaeologist Hannah Marie Wormington (1914-1994) was the second woman admitted by Harvard University’s anthropology department, and by the age of 24 she began publishing her textbooks, one of which, the Ancient Man in North America, was the standard on the subject for quite some time. She excavated sites and rock shelters across Colorado and Utah. She was also the first curator of archaeology at what is now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Cynthia Irwin-Williams (1936-1990) was a protégé of Wormington’s; she led the first archaeological excavations of the Valesquillo Reservoir area in Mexico. She also led projects in Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, and more.

Honor Frost (1917-2010) was a leading female in the underwater archaeology world. She applied her diving skills to expand excavations and reconstructions of submerged shipwrecks. After training under Kathleen Kenyon in Jericho she worked at sites in Lebanon, then later led dives and excavations of sites and shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. Her discoveries include the lost palace of Alexander and Ptolemy in the Port of Alexandria.

Lithuanian Marija Gimbutas (1921-1994) became a professor of Archaeology at University of California after her family emigrated. Maria studied female figurines, and the Baltic Neolithic and Bronze societies, and also developed the ‘Kurgan hypothesis’ (an Indo-European region migration hypothesis). She wrote three books focused on the civilization of goddesses of ‘old Europe,’ and while some of her ideas have been challenged, her interpretive work on material culture, social organization, and religious practices have led to new research and approaches.

Gudrun Corvinus (1932-2006) was not only an archaeologist, but also a paleontologist and geologist, excavating sites throughout Africa and Asia, contributing to both vertebrate paleontology and Paleolithic archaeology. She was part of the team that discovered the 3.2 million years old Australopithecus afarensis “Lucy” skeleton. While working in Ethiopia in 1974, she was the first person to find the Gona archaeological deposits, which included the oldest known stone artefacts in the world.

Another female archaeologist that not much is known about, but should be, is Gussie White, one of many African American women digging and laboring at the Irene Mound project in Georgia in 1937. Gussie spoke Gullah, and she even attended the Tuskeegee Normal School for women, which trained her as an educator and clerical worker, before the mound project. As an African American and a woman, she was not given the credit she deserved for her efforts and under the Works Progress Administration, she was paid little for her work (around 12 dollars a week). Today, her and others are beginning to be recognized for their contributions to history. Her efforts and those of other female African Americans will be remembered.

All of these women have made priceless contributions to the world of archaeology, and their names deserve to be known and recognized. Along with our IUP professors, there are other female archaeologists from many corners of the globe, working hard to continue to pave the way for anyone to become an archaeologist and find their place in the world of archaeology.

Shahina Farid was born in London to parents who emigrated from Pakistan. After studying archaeology at the University of Liverpool, she worked at sites in Turkey, Bahrain, London, and the United Arab Emirates, publishing over 40 scientific articles. She was also field director of the Çatalhöyük project for around twenty years, instructing and managing over 200 scientists, students, and volunteers from around the world at the 7,500 B.C. to 5,700 B.C. Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in Anatolia.

Dr. Alicia Odewale is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Tulsa, focusing on archaeology of the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and Southeastern United States. A member of the Society of Black Archaeologists, her work focuses on community-oriented, Black feminist archaeology. She has worked on sites in St. Croix of the Virgin Islands, researching archaeological sites related to Afro-Caribbean heritage, but she has also researched sites in Oklahoma, Virginia, Arkansas, and Mississippi. She also serves as a co-creator of the Estate Little Princess Archaeological Field School that instructs local students on archeological skills, and as director of the Historical Archaeology and Heritage Studies Laboratory at TU.

Swedish-Somali archaeologist Dr. Sada Mire has a PhD from UCL’s Institute of Archaeology. She is the founder and executive director of the Horn Heritage Organization and is currently an assistant professor of archaeology at Leiden University. Her 2014 TEDxEuston talk focused on the need for cultural heritage. She has recently been active in the Horn of Africa, working to preserve its heritage by establishing the Department of Tourism and Archaeology in Somaliland, creating a digital museum that features Somali cultural materials and objects, and by teaching archaeological method to the local African people so they can carry out their own work.

Dame Rosemary Cramp was born in 1929 and is still alive today. She was the first female professor for Durham University, leading a team that excavated Jarrow Abbey, the home of Saint Bede, which recovered some of the earliest stained glass in Britain. She is currently working on the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture, a research project seeking to document early sculptures in a systematic manner across the whole of England; the Corpus stands as the only existing record for several pieces of art. She was one of the first Trustees of the British Museum and one of the first Commissioners for English Heritage.

Kathleen O’Neal Gear is both an American archaeologist and well-known writer. She is a former state historian and archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska. She has received two Special Achievement Awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior for her work in archaeology, as well as a Spur Award for Best Historical Novel of the West. She has also received the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Congress, an Owen Wister Award for western literature, and she was even inducted into the Western Writers Hall of Fame.

Susan Greaney, a Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA), is a British archaeologist focusing on the study of British prehistory. She is a Senior Properties Historian with English Heritage. In 2019 she was named a BBC New Generation Thinker and she was also elected as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. She has conducted archaeological research and content development for sites such as Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle, and Chysauster ancient village.

Theresa Singleton is an African American archaeologist who focuses on the African Diaspora in, and historical archaeology of, North America. She was the first African American recipient of the Society of Historical Archaeology’s highest honor, the J.C. Harrington Award. She is currently an author and associate professor at Syracuse University, teaching anthropology and historical archaeology.

American classical archaeologist Joan Breton Connelly is a professor of Classics and Art History at New York University. She is also currently the director of the Yeronisos Island Excavations and Field School in Cyprus, and she is even an honorary citizen of the Municipality of Peyia, Republic of Cyprus. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1996, the Archaeological Institute of America Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2007, and the Lillian Vernon Chair for Teaching Excellence at NYU from 2002-2004.

Archaeologist and Egyptologist Sarah Parcak uses remote sensing and satellite imaging to focus on locating potential sites in Rome, Egypt, and other areas formerly occupied by the Roman Empire. While working as a professor of Anthropology and director of the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she also works with her husband to direct projects in the Sinai, Faiyum, and Egypt’s East Delta.

There have been many incredible female archaeologists, and more continue to work hard and inspire the next generation even today. A great resource for more information on female archaeologists is the TrowelBlazer organization, https://trowelblazers.com, which shares the contributions of women and other underrepresented groups studying archaeology, geology, and paleontology, and also provides resources for them. This month, remember those who overcame incredible odds, faced many obstacles, and challenged adversity, all in their pursuit for historical truths, recognition, and especially for their passion of archaeology.

 

References:

https://www.europeana.eu/en/blog/groundbreaking-women-in-archaeology

https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/first-female-archaeologists/

https://ulasnews.com/2021/03/08/women-in-archaeology/ndigventures.com/2015/03/pioneering-women-in-archaeology/

https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/pioneering-female-archaeologists/

https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-most-inspirational-female-archaeologists-from-history

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/six-groundbreaking-female-archaeologists/

https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-female-archaeologists/reference

https://www.livescience.com/62086-pioneering-women-archaeologists.html

African Diaspora Archaeology

by qjjfc

In the late 20th century, African diaspora archaeology emerged as a unique field within the broader study of historical archaeology. During this time, archaeological research was shifting its focus from more “elite” figures toward marginalized groups, and African cultural contributions were becoming more recognized in the Americas. Plantation archaeology in the southern United States initially centered the plantation owners. Eventually, archaeologists began to take interest in the enslaved populations. As the field grew, archaeologists started to look at other aspects of the African diaspora in the Americas. Now, African diaspora archaeology consists of multiple areas of study including African identity, maroon sites, and examinations of race and racism.

Colonoware Pottery

The archaeology of African identity focuses on identifying African cultural elements in the material record, looking for evidence of cultural continuity in the Americas. One important site for this research is the Newton Plantation in Barbados. The burial site revealed interments similar to those seen in West Africa. The burials and their associated grave goods suggest spiritual practices from African traditions. Another important piece of evidence of cultural continuity at African diaspora sites is Colonoware, handmade ceramics that have been found in the American South, Caribbean, and Brazil. This style of pottery shows stylistic similarities to West African pottery.

An artist’s rendition of Fort Mose.

Archaeologists also study maroon settlements where escaped enslaved people formed their own communities. There is evidence that these people often brought African traditions to their new environments. One important example of a maroon settlement is Palmares, Brazil. It was one of the largest known settlements and existed for nearly a century. Colonoware has been found at this site. The first free African settlement in what is now the U.S. was Fort Mose in Florida, also known as Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. This settlement was established by escaped enslaved people who agreed to fight for Spain. Excavations at this site have shown a blend of African and Spanish material culture.

Archaeological examinations of race and systemic racism focus on how these social mechanisms shaped material culture and lives in the African diaspora. At Cannon’s Point Plantation in Georgia, archaeologist John Otto compared artifacts from enslaved people and their white overseers to illustrate disparities in wealth and access. Archaeological research on urban sites in Charleston, South Carolina showed differences in material goods and the impact of segregation. Research in the 90s by Paul Mullins analyzed African American consumer culture in the 19th century, looking at how these people navigated racialized markets and expressed status and resistance through material culture. Much of the work in African diaspora archaeology focuses on the experiences of enslaved peoples, but as seen in Mullins’ research, this is a continuously evolving field that is growing to examine the multi-faceted experience of the African diaspora.

 

Sources:

Orser, C.E. The Archaeology of the African Diaspora. Annual Review of Anthropology. 27, 63-82.

https://www.artandobject.com/news/revolutionary-pottery-colonoware-undermining-british-empire

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/florida-portrait-fort-mose-historic-state-park/

 

February is Black History Month

by qjjfc

February is dedicated as Black History Month. Let’s learn about some African Americans who have solidified themselves into the history of archaeology.

John Wesley Gilbert, 1888

Many have heard of John Wesley Gilbert, considered to be the first African American archaeologist. Born free in 1863, this man went on to become a graduate from Paine College and was the first African American to receive their master’s degree from Brown University; his master’s was in Archaeology. Along with being a professor, Dr. Gilbert was also a minister and missionary. He did fieldwork at the Greek city of Eretria, helping to discover it and create the first map of the area, established a church and school in the village of Wembo-Nyama in the Belgian Congo, and taught subjects such as Greek, Latin, English, French, German, Hebrew, and New Testament literature as an educator. He passed away in 1923, but his achievements continue to inspire all archaeologists.

Dr. Theresa Singleton, Syracuse University

Another notable figure in African American archaeology is Dr. Theresa Singleton, the first African American women to receive a Ph.D. in historical archaeology and African American history from the University of Florida in 1980. She is also the first and only African American to be awarded the Society of Historical Archaeology’s J.C. Harrington Award to this date. Dr. Singleton’s areas of interest are historical archaeology, African Diasporas, Museums, North America, and the Caribbean. She focuses on comparative studies of slave societies in the Americas and the Caribbean, concentrating on culture and plantation life under slavery. She is currently an author and Professor at Syracuse University teaching anthropology and historical archaeology.

Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste

Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste’s name should be familiar to IUP graduate students, who read her book Black Feminist Archaeology in their first semester. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UMass Amherst, where she is also Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center. Dr. Battle Baptiste is also the current President of the American Anthropological Association. Her research is focused on the intersection of race, gender, class, and sexuality, with specific interests in African Diaspora archaeology and Black Feminist theory. As an activist-scholar, Dr. Battle-Baptiste views academia as a space to engage with contemporary issues. She is an excellent example for African American professionals in the present-day field of archaeology.

A great resource centered on supporting archaeologists of African descent is The Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA).

https://www.societyofblackarchaeologists.com/

Based in Washington D.C., but consisting of members from throughout the world, this group was founded in 2011. They seek to “increase the number of professionally trained archaeologists of African descent through the promotion of social responsibility, academic excellence, and the creation of spaces that foster the SBA’s goals and activities.” Their website includes resources such as online maps and databases, interviews from their Oral History Project, and links to other related websites. This non-profit organization has hosted online presentations as well, that can still be watched through the link below:

https://www.societyofblackarchaeologists.com/events

On their website (https://www.societyofblackarchaeologists.com/about/) you can check out the achievements of the current leadership: President Alexandra Jones, PhD., President-Elect Alicia Odewale, PhD., Treasurer Craig Stevens, Secretary Jordan Davis, Student Representative Rebecca Davis, Chairman of the Board Ayana Omilade Flewellen, PhD, Board Member Justin Dunnavant, PhD, and Board Member Jay Haigler.

As Black History Month is underway, consider checking out this organization, their talks, or the other related websites they have listed!

Further Reading:
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/john-wesley-gilbert-1863-1923/#:~:text=John%20Wesley%20Gilbert%20was%20and,master’s%20degree%20from%20Brown%20University.
https://blerds.atlantablackstar.com/2015/07/09/6-black-archaeologists-anthropologists-know/6/
https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/anthro/Singleton,_Theresa/

Alumni Spotlight: Janee Becker

by qjjfc

IUP’s Applied Archaeology program is one of the top producers of Secretary of the Interior qualified professional archaeologists in the nation. This semester we are reaching out to IUP Applied Archaeology alumni to find out what they are up to now. We asked IUP alum Janee Becker to write about her recent work in archaeology, and she shared the following:

Iowa DOT public outreach for IA 9 Lansing Bridge Replacement Project. From the right: Iowa DOT Cultural Resource Manager Janee Becker, Iowa DOT Cultural Resources Team Lead Brennan Dolan, and Iowa DOT engineer Clayton Burke.

I attended IUP from fall 2018 to Spring 2020, graduating in August 2020.  During my time there I was the Zooarchaeology GA and worked for PHAST.  My thesis topic covered the potential for Native American Wild West Show Performer Campsites at the Wigwam in DuBois, Pennsylvania.

I currently work as a Cultural Resource Manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) where I review transportation and transportation related projects for their potential to affect cultural resources per federal and state laws and regulations.  My favorite part of this job is the ability to follow a project from the concept and identification of resources to the project determination, consultation, and potential preservation or mitigation of resources.  Additionally, I love working alongside all the other environmental sections on a project as we work to balance environmental stewardship and the needs of an ever-changing transportation system.

Archaeological monitoring for a project along US 69 in Des Moines.

The skillset I gained at IUP has been invaluable in this position.  My line of work spans both above and below ground resources and a wide breadth of responsibilities.  I cannot understate how valuable the program has been in developing a foundational knowledge of the federal laws and regulations I work under, report writing and review, constructing and reviewing budgets, and providing an amazing network of people I can reach out to if I have a question or need a new perspective.

Photo of field crew for I-29 rest area improvement project.

An excellent example of what I do as well as the Section 106 [NHPA] and Section 4(f) [U.S. DOT Act] processes at work has been a bridge and road improvement project in Sioux City along Gordon Drive (IA 12).  The current project goes back to 2019, and I picked it up in 2022 when I started at the Iowa DOT.  Through this project we’ve conducted two Phase I archaeological surveys, two Intensive Architectural Evaluations, and a Phase II archaeological evaluation to identify eligible cultural resources within our expanded Area of Potential Effect (APE).  Through extensive consultation with the Federal Highway Administration Iowa Division, Iowa SHPO, Tribes/Nations with interest in Woodbury County, and identified interested parties, the Iowa DOT was able to avoid 25 eligible/potentially eligible resources.  This project will be adversely affecting The Gordon Drive Viaduct and two archaeological sites (deposits relating to an early 20th century residential neighborhood and a Woodland Period scatter).  We have just reached two large milestones for the Section 106 and NEPA processes with the final Memorandum of Agreement out for signatures and the Environmental Assessment (EA) out for public comment.  We look forward to mitigating these adverse effects through Phase III Data Recovery of the two archaeological sites in consultation with interested Tribes/Nations, SHPO, and the Office of the State Archaeologist in Iowa, along with an architectural survey of the Sioux City Rail Yards and Industrial Potential Historic District in consultation with SHPO and the Sioux City Historic Preservation Commission.

The Spring Semester Kicks Off

by qjjfc

Welcome back to another semester at IUP! The students have conquered their first week of classes, and the blog is back online. Our first three weeks will have multiple colloquiums for students to attend. Last week, we had a great turnout for Dr. Ervan Garrison’s SAA webinar on sedimentology. His presentation served as a great introduction to deposition processes and analysis of sediments. Students got a sneak peak of some of the topics that would be covered in the geoarchaeology course planned for the next school year. This week, we will have Dr. Nina Schreiner of the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology speaking to students about the NAGPRA rule changes that went into effect at the beginning of 2024. Next week, students will be able to attend another SAA webinar on consultation partnerships presented by Dr. Laurie Rush. As first-year students attend their first course on Cultural Resource Management and second-year students begin CRM II, it’s important to remember and emphasize the human relationships at work behind the abstractions of theory and the cold calculations of law. More events coming down the pipeline include presentations of student papers and our mock ethics bowl. Plans for later colloquiums are still in the works, but there are several potential options that students should find interesting.

On the blog, you can expect the author to address current affairs in archaeology, feature content on other IUP students, and expound on some of their own interests. With any luck, we will be able to track down the elusive second-year students, ever entangled in the arduous task of thesis writing, and we will carefully extract information on the research they have been conducting. In addition to these graduate student spotlights, there is word that some of IUP’s alumni will be open to sharing what they have been up to post-graduation. Graduates of our Applied Archaeology program are everywhere in this field, so there is not telling what we will find. That being said, I look forward to yet another enriching semester in Indiana and hope the students and other readers of the blog find something of value here.

We Can Now Detect Metal

by qjjfc

Earlier this semester a group of IUP graduate students had the opportunity to attend the Advanced Metal Detecting for Archaeologists course. A grant received by the organization covered our tuition, and we were able to get our lodging and travel expenses covered by the Deanne Snavely Fund at IUP. At the end of the course, we received certifications.

The Team

Metal detectors, if you can believe it, are geophysical instruments that emit a signal to detect buried metals. Their effectiveness can vary based on environmental conditions (especially ground cover, soil type, and moisture), detector quality, and operator experience. Keeping that in mind, our instructors advocated for the use of metal detecting in archaeological survey. They may only search for one material, but they are very effective at finding that material.

One of our instructors, Doug Scott, is well known for his work at Little Bighorn. His and his colleagues’ work at the battlefield involved deciphering troop movements based on the distribution of lead. Their research was a success, and it has had a significant impact on how battlefield archaeology is conducted today. This is an example of how metal detecting can make a positive contribution to archaeological research. In addition to learning about field methods and the operation of the equipment, we also looked at different case studies that implemented metal detector survey, and we learned about research design for metal detecting. Overall, the course was a success, and we left with some valuable skills. Thanks to IUP for sharing this opportunity with us!

Indigenous Archaeology is Evolving

by qjjfc

Recently our coursework has been covering community-based approaches to archaeology. One subject in particular has come up repeatedly: Indigenous Archaeology. So, what is it? Indigenous archaeology arose from the post-processual movement of the 1980s to challenge Anglocentric interpretations of the archaeological record. This practice aims to interpret the record through an Indigenous lens by merging indigenous values with Western scientific practice (Torres 2024). In practice, this involves collaboration with indigenous communities, integration of traditional knowledge, an emphasis on decolonization, and community-centric goals (Lyons et al. 2010).

One example of indigenous archaeology from our class readings is the Arviat Archaeology and Oral History Project. In their article “Person, Place, Memory, Thing: How Inuit Elders are Informing Archaeological Practice in the Canadian North,” Lyons et al. discuss how they collaborated with Inuit Elders to synthesize different forms of knowledge. Traditional knowledge was integrated into their research to aid in the interpretation of the archaeological record. Oral histories and “map biographies” were recorded to develop an indigenous perspective on the surrounding landscape and the people who have occupied it through time. The information produced in this project is used by the Elders to educate the youth in the community and preserve and transmit their cultural heritage.

Another example of indigenous archaeology is the Crow Archaeological Field Camp, a collaborative project between the Crow Nation and archaeologists (Schreiber 2011). This field school in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area utilizes ethnographic archaeology through the integration of Crow oral histories, and local Crow students benefit from educational outreach efforts. There is an emphasis on building partnerships and putting indigenous perspectives at the forefront of research.

Through legislation, indigenous archaeology is now being integrated into the cultural resource management processes in California. The AB52 amendment to CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) created a new protected class referred to as “tribal cultural resources,” and these resources are determined by tribes rather than archaeologists (Torres 2024). The treatment of tribal cultural resources is decided through collaboration between tribes and government agencies. This amendment has led to the training of tribal monitors to safeguard resources. Tribes are already bringing traditional knowledge to the table, but now there is a necessity to train indigenous archaeologists.

For some time now, archaeologists and indigenous communities have been advocating for changes in the way archaeology is practiced. They want indigenous people to be able to take a more active role in the study of their history. Recent changes to CEQA and CalNAGPRA that empower tribes should be seen as part of a wider trend that aims to more fully include indigenous people in the field of archaeology and allow them to have more say in how their past is researched and preserved.

Indigenous archaeology is the future of archaeology in North America.

References Cited

Lyons, Natasha, Peter Dawson, Matthew Walls, Donald Uluadluak, Louis Angalik, Mark Kalluak, Philip Kigusiutuak, et al. 2010 “Person, Place, Memory, Thing: How Inuit Elders are Informing Archaeological Practice in the Canadian North.” Journal Canadien D’Archeologie 34: 1-31.

Schreiber, Laura L., Kelly M. Branam, Judson Byrd Finley, Rebecca A. Nathan, Katherine L. Burnett, Maureen P. Boyle, Dawn M. Rutecki, et al. 2011. “Crow Rediscover a Piece of Their Homeland.” Archaeological Practice: A Journal of the Society for American Archaeology.

Torres, John A. 2024. Indigenous Archaeology in Practice. SAA Webinar Series.