February is Black History Month

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

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.