Anthropology

Archaeology

Sections

Faculty

Allen Zagarell (269-387-3978)
Britt Hartenberger (269-387-3974)
Michael Nassaney (269-387-3981)

General Description

The philosophy of research and pedagogy of the archaeology component links the concerns and interests of the archaeology faculty and students directly to broader anthropological concerns. We believe that archaeology can best contribute to the anthropological enterprise by building on its strengths as a long-term history that has both material and symbolic dimensions. Our strengths lie in the areas of historical archaeology, public archaeology, social archaeology, political economy, and ethnohistory.

The investigation of archaeological sites dating to the recent past is a burgeoning field. Much of historical archaeology is synonymous with the study of the modern world, including colonialism, capitalism, enslavement, and industrialization.

Increasingly central to archaeology today is a concern for the communities in which it is practiced. From uncovering the untold histories of marginalized groups to providing economic development opportunities through heritage tourism, the significance of archaeology extends beyond academia with the practice of public archaeology. Engaging the public through education and outreach initiatives is an important component of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project and other initiatives. This often takes the form of community service learning in which students learn archaeology while providing a service to many diverse publics.

Social archaeology focuses on the dynamics of social relationships in the past, and their role in archaeological interpretation in the present. This perspective hinges on the ways in which power relations and social identities are created and reproduced through the material world and how these relations are expressed archaeologically along the lines of class, gender and ethnicity.

Our study of political economy examines the ways in which surplus is produced and mobilized in human societies worldwide We aim to explore how wealth is created and accumulated through material and symbolic capital, as well as the global efforts to resist this process.

We recognize that the study of the history of culture requires more than an examination of material remains in various archaeological settings. As part of our interest in ethnohistory, we advocate that material analyses be combined whenever possible with observations drawn from ethnographies, oral accounts, and historical documents. The integration of multiple lines of evidence often provides a more coherent and parsimonious account of the histories and cultures we wish to explore. The departments of anthropology and history offer a combined graduate certificate in Ethnohistory.

Specialized Equipment and Training

We have access to a variety of technical equipment at Western Michigan University. Our goal is to acquaint our students with the newest relevant technologies and teach the application of these techniques to archaeological problems. The techniques include, but are not limited to, geophysics, geographical information systems analysis, digital imagery analysis, computer applications in archaeology, and characterization studies.

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Courses

Undergraduate Courses

Lost Worlds and Archaeology (ANTH 1100)
Introduction to Archaeology (ANTH 2100)
Ancient America (ANTH 3000)
Historical Archaeology (ANTH 3030)
Archaeology of Civilization (ANTH 3060)
Archaeology of Inequality & Resistance (ANTH 3090)
The First Americans (ANTH 3440)
Midwest Prehistory (ANTH 4000)
Early Technologies (ANTH 4040)
Archaeology of the Great Lakes State (ANTH 4050)
Archaeological Field School (ANTH 4900)

Graduate Courses

Topics in Archaeology (ANTH 5000)
The Rise of Civilization (ANTH 5010)
Origins of Agriculture (ANTH 5020)
Social Archaeology (ANTH 5050)
Archaeology of Gender (ANTH 5060)
Seminar in Archaeology (ANTH 6020)
Archaeological Field School (ANTH 6900)

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Recent Student Theses (1990 - 2003)

Undergraduate Honor's Theses

Where the Past Meets the Present: A Comparative Analysis of the Process of Archaeological Site Registration in the United States of America and the United States of Mexico
Getting to the Point: The Dart-Arrow Transition in Plum Bayou Culture

Graduate Theses

Crafting Culture at Fort St. Joseph: An Archaeological Investigation of Labor Organization on the Colonial Frontier
Class and Gender in Southwestern Michigan: Interpreting Historical Landscapes
Of Agrarian Landscapes and Capitalist Transitions: Historical Archaeology and the Political Economy of a Nineteenth-Century Farmstead
Eating Ethnicity: Examining 18th Century French Colonial Identity Through Selective Consumption of Animal Resources in the North American Interior
An Intensive Surface collection and Intrasite Spatial analysis of the Archaeological Materials from the Coy Mound Site (3LN20), Central Arkansas
The Urban Landscape of Health, Hygiene, and Social control: The Development of Urban Services in Battle Creek, MI
Exploring the Social Dimensions of Grog-Temper Use at the Ink Bayou Site (3PU252): A Plum Bayou Culture Site in Central Arkansas

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Field Experiences

The archaeology component has long emphasized experiential learning and active student engagement in teaching, research, and service. Beginning with the field programs first established in the western Great Lakes 34 years ago and continuing with the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project and research projects in other areas of the world especially South and Central Asia, WMU archaeologists encourage both graduate and undergraduate students to become involved in practicing archaeology. This work often results in close collaboration with faculty in conducting research and making the results available to academic audiences and beyond through publications, public programs, and community outreach. Some recent projects that students have undertaken include:

Undergraduate Participation in Archaeology

Students have presented the results of independent archaeological research through posters and presentations under faculty supervision.
Students have the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in conjunction with community-based projects led by graduate students and faculty.
Students regularly participate in Michigan Archaeology Day in Lansing where they prepare a display of French and British artifacts from the Fort St. Joseph excavations in Niles.
Students have been featured in and have assisted in producing promotional videos that highlight the role of community service learning in archaeology.
Undergraduate and graduate students have recently attended and participated in meetings of the Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology Conference, (Williamsburg, Albuquerque), Society for American Archaeology (San Juan, Austin, Vancouver), French Colonial Historical Society (Quebec City), and the Midwest Historical Archaeology Conference (Ball State, DePaul, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis) with faculty support.
Students have traveled to Central Asia and China to examine ancient archaeological sites
Students have examined and interpreted rock art from India

Graduate Student Participation in Archaeology

At Fort St. Joseph, Niles MI

Fort St. Joseph is an 18th century mission-garrison-trading post established by the French in Niles, MI. The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project is a collaborative venture between WMU, the City of Niles, the Fort St. Joseph Museum, and other community groups in which students engage in community service learning, public education, and outreach.

A graduate student designed and implementing a public education program for Fort St. Joseph in Niles, Michigan as an internship with the Fort St. Joseph Museum.
A student analyzed a collection of tinkling cones in the collections of the Fort St. Joseph Museum to examine the ways in which labor was organized on the colonial frontier.
Several undergraduate and graduate students collaborated in preparing a poster for the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Washington, DC on the 2007 field season of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project.
Students have served as interns with the Fort St. Joseph Museum since 2006.
Students have developed and implemented public archaeology programs for high school students, teachers, and continuing education adults.

Other Archaeological Thesis work includes

A student conducted an examination of an ancient burial site at Altyn, Turkmenistan
A graduate student completed an archaeological investigation of lumber camps in upper Michigan
A student studied and interpreted the significance of the Hero stones complex of the Nilgiri Hills, India
A Masters student is studying the nomadic influences in Central Asia

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