We are thrilled about this fall semester! ANTH 491.00 ST: Archaeological Methods class at Kenyon College provides a unique opportunity for 14 students and two professors to participate in a local archaeological dig. This is the first time such an opportunity is available at Kenyon. After preliminary research, planning, and gathering information, including analyzing artifacts such as ceramic sherds, brick, and bone, Ground Penetrating Radar, and historical research, we are finally ready to go to Marshalltown this fall! This webpage will serve as our hub for sharing our findings. Additionally, students in the class will blog about their experiences and research, offering insights into the work in progress for the Kenyon Community.
Exploring the archaeological sites on university campuses in the US is a valuable way to gain insight into past ways of life. By examining the artifacts and structures left behind, we can gain a better understanding of how our institutions have evolved over time. In fact, according to Stacy Camp’s article in the March 2022 SAA Archaeological Record, campus archaeology can play a crucial role in developing future leaders in the Heritage Industry (Camp 2022:15). Indeed, it provides an opportunity for students to collect data, analyze it, interpret it, and write about it. In other words, it dissects and displays how the proverbial archaeology sausage is made.
This is, before anything, a collective project. We could not have done it without the help of many colleagues such as Tom Stamp’72 and Molly Keen’21, as well as the local Kenyon anthropologists nested in in Palme House (which we are part of).
Best,
Profs. Gallareta Cervera and Novotny
