Our Field Trip to Vincennes, IN

On April 13, a group of archaeology and art history students and beloved alum Mike K. toured a number of historical sites in Indiana's First City, Vincennes, with good friend of the department Ms. Alexandra Leich. After we watched an introductory video, an interpreter in period dress demonstrated the type of rifle used by George Rogers Clark and his men to capture Fort Sackville from the British in 1779.

We then visited the impressive George Rogers Clark Memorial, which was dedicated by President Roosevelt in 1936.

 

After a tour of Indiana's oldest church - the beautiful Old Cathedral - and its very interesting library and museum with Father Schipp, we visited the Old French House and Indian Museum. Built in 1809, the house is an excellent example of French Creole architecture. Historian Richard Day was our interpreter and we were really impressed by his knowledge of early Indiana history.

 





 

After a somewhat chilly picnic lunch featuring Alexandra's awesome brownies, we were given an excellent tour of Grouseland, the mansion owned by first governor of the Indiana Territory and 9th US President, William Henry Harrison.

 

 

We concluded our trip with a visit to historic buildings next to Grouseland, including a log cabin, a print shop, a building used by the Territorial Legislature, and the Jefferson Academy (precursor to the oldest university in Indiana, Vincennes University). A good time was had by all!

 

Heidi Strobel to present at Reitz Home Museum

Dr. Heidi Strobel will present her research on Evansville-area "Rosie the Riveters" at 7:00 pm tonight at the Reitz Home Museum. Hope you can attend!

Lauren Weingart ('12) at the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library

After my May 2012 graduation, I was itching to explore a career interest in library science. I was extremely fortunate to be hired by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library as a Digital Projects Processor, a grant-funded position in which I learned much of the digitization process. Working with local World War II-era materials, I did everything from scanning, to cataloging, to research, and many steps in between. The position has allowed me to learn valuable skills and given me an insider’s view of some of the daily operations at the center of Evansville’s Five-Star library system. It has been a wonderful learning experience, and I have enjoyed every step of this project. I gain a great deal of satisfaction from the knowledge that I have assisted the library in making its materials more accessible to the public and easier to use for researchers.

Lauren at the scanner.

During my time at the library, I have digitized thousands of World War II-era photographs, newsletters, and posters. I have also had the opportunity to research Evansville’s war industries, and in April I will be speaking about the experiences of Evansville’s African-American community during the World War II. Those interested in perusing the Evansville in World War II Digital Archive can find the collection here. History enthusiasts who will be in the Evansville area in March and April are invited to attend Central Library’s WWII Speaker Series, lectures organized to celebrate the Evansville in World War II Digital Archive going online. The line-up can be found here. I hope that the faculty, alumni, and students of the Department of Archaeology and Art History will consider attending these lectures. I will be presenting my research, “’This is Our War’: Evansville’s African-American Community and the Second World War” on April 23. Other upcoming speakers include local history author Harold Morgan and USI’s Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Jennifer Greene. I hope to see some familiar faces in the crowd!

One of the images in the collection.

Sophomore Miranda A. wins Gumberts' Award

Congratulations to major Miranda Amey, who received the Gumberts' Award in the 51st Annual Student Art Exhibition at the Melvin Peterson Gallery on the UE campus. Stop by the gallery and cast your vote for the People's Choice Award, which will be annouced after the exhibit closes on April 5. Miranda has three pieces in the show!

Less than one year after graduation: Elizabeth Bostelman ('12) at the Indiana War Memorial

After graduation, I went straight to work at a pool and spa store, Bradbury’s Waterin’ Hole, in my hometown. Since then the girl who hates chemistry has been learning all about balancing pH and keeping the right chlorine levels in pools and spas. I work mostly on the retail floor, a new experience for me.

Elizabeth would like to sell you a spa.

After the insanity of the summer was over, I realized I needed something to feed my brain so I enrolled in Penn State’s World Campus program. I’m currently about three quarters of the way through a graduate certificate in GIS. It has been really interesting and I am learning lots of new skills! I’m also staying “in the field” by volunteering on my day off at the Indiana War Memorial. The current project I’m working on is researching 400 Army Special Forces flashes and ovals, which unit they belonged to, when they were worn, etc. It’s been a very interesting project. The next project I’m hopefully going to work on is creating a database of all the WWII Hoosier veterans. I researched UE veterans from the Civil War to Afghanistan and Iraq for my senior honors’ project, and I presented the results at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research last year.

The Indiana War Memorial

My long-term plan is to continue to work at Bradbury’s for another full year and enroll in a graduate program by fall 2014. I’m still trying to decide what kind of program I want – Classical Archaeology will always fascinate me, but I’ve really enjoyed all the work I’ve done with Military History – so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what program accepts me!

Student Carissa Kepner at Angel Mounds

Interning at Angel Mounds during the spring semester and in summer 2012 has been one of my most enjoyable college experiences so far. I have had many opportunities to solve problems and be creative and inventive, and I have really enjoyed getting to know the Angel Mounds staff.

Carissa stands next to a seed sorter at the spring Farm Fest event at Angel Mounds.

The first thing to know is that Angel Mounds isn’t a big museum, and you shouldn’t go into an internship at this site thinking that you’re going to be handling and cataloguing a lot of artifacts. In fact, most of what the interns do is interact with the public and help plan and run events. I have developed my people skills and improved my public speaking skills at Angel Mounds by giving presentations to visitors and helping out with off-site presentations in the community. I am very proud of my ability to talk to people on the phone, as when I started I was terrible at it and now I can talk smoothly and professionally. This summer I have been planning, setting up, and running events for the four themed day camps organized by Angel Mounds. I was even allowed to plan one entire day of camp with help from the staff. There is a lot of give and take between the interns and the staff that makes Angel Mounds feel like a family. There is a lot of trust that develops between the staff and their interns, and the staff members really made me feel like my work was contributing to the good of the site.

I helped kids build this boat for Angel Mounds Extreme Egypt camp and we all got to try it out.

I learned a lot from my time there, not only about the history of the site and Mississippian culture, but also about all of the different kinds of work that go into running a museum. Although the internship is unpaid, it is well worth your time, especially during the summer when you keep constantly busy. If you are willing to learn and work hard, you will have a lot of fun.

Student Alyssa Reynolds at New Harmony, IN

“You’ve got to go dig those holes."

-“Dig it” D-Tent Boys

Having never been on an archaeological dig before, I have to admit I was a little worried. Will I get along with the other students? Since I’m not experienced in field methods, will the professor cast me off to the side? Those were just a few questions racing through my mind. However, after participating in the USI field school from May 9th – June 8th at New Harmony, IN, all of my doubts were erased.


Alyssa with a Harmonist red ware cup.

The focus of the 2012 field season of USI’s excavations at New Harmony was Christoph Weber’s pottery kiln. Previous field schools had uncovered the firebox for the kiln, but we were hoping to expand further on this feature. Much to director Dr. Michael Strezewski’s surprise, the kiln was larger than he had anticipated. Not a big surprise - considering this is archaeology. One of the most interesting artifacts discovered was a Harmonist redware cup. My digging partner and I were so excited when we pulled this out of the ground! Other artifacts unearthed included Harmonist pottery shards, rotary scissors, and kiln furniture. While expanding the kiln feature, the remnants of a church wall built after the Harmonist period and a brick floor from the Harmonist period were also discovered.

The amount of knowledge which I obtained from the field school was immense. I learned how to draw maps, measure, document, and dig using correct excavation methods, all while having a lot of fun. Making new friends was easier than I thought. Being in a hole with somebody for an extended period of time makes you get to know that person rather quickly. I will never forget this experience and all of the people I met. We all had such a good time together. Filling in the holes on the last day was a bittersweet experience for all of us. We reminisced about our five weeks together in the hot sun digging holes and discovering the past. We laughed, hugged, and vowed to do it all again if possible. I thank them for making my first field school unforgettable and reaffirming my career choice – archaeologist.

Alyssa in a trench at New Harmony.

Students Screen Soil from Hovey Lake Site

Around 20 UE students, most of them archaeology and art history majors, screened soil from the Hovey Lake Site west of Evansville on Saturday March 24.  The soil had been taken to Angel Mounds for screening.  Lots of interesting artifacts and ecofacts were discovered, including a nice rim sherd with handle from a Mississipian vessel.  Thanks to everyone for their help!

Alumna Profile: Rachael G. ('03) in California



I graduated from UE in 2003, and immediately began my graduate studies in Industrial Archaeology at Michigan Technological University. I spent two summers excavating at the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, New York, and completed my thesis in May 2005.


I became a “shovelbum” after graduate school in an effort to gain more fieldwork experience. In two years, I worked for four different companies and surveyed in New Jersey, North Carolina, Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Georgia. The locations were less than glamorous, and the projects ranged from fascinating to boring. However, I met interesting people and learned something new with each project.


Mapping a dredge tailing pile in
Merced County, CA.

In May 2007, I became an archaeologist with the Indiana Department of Transportation. My responsibilities included archaeological records searches, survey, report writing, consultation with local historical groups, and documenting archaeological sites. My office time increased, but I learned how to use ArcGIS (highly recommended!) and gained a better understanding of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. However, I wanted to expand out of the Midwest, and began applying for jobs in the western United States.

 

In November 2009, I accepted my current position as a historical archaeologist with Garcia and Associates in Lompoc, California. In the past eighteen months, I have recorded shipwrecks along the Pacific Coast and historic farmsteads on Vandenberg Air Force Base, coordinated Phase II excavations at an oil storage facility, documented two hydroelectric power plants, and surveyed many prehistoric sites in the Owens Valley. 

Although my archaeological career is vastly different from my studies at UE, I owe my successful career to the supportive UE faculty and their high educational standards. I know the writing and presentation skills I gained as a student prepared me for the wonderful position I have today.

Mann Site on NPR

Click here for NPR's "Prehistoric Treasure in the Fields of Indiana," which talks about the Mann Site and the exhibit of amazing artifacts at Angel Mounds through January 14.  If you haven't seen the exhibit yet, you should!

Alumnus Profile: Dan M. ('10) in Evansville

Dan wields the auger on a Phase 1 survey.

During my final semester at UE, I was an intern for Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc. My class schedule allowed me to work in the field on Phase I surveys as needed. I also worked in the office cleaning and preserving artifacts and prepping them for museum holding, which included artifact cleaning and inking. After graduating in May, I stayed in Evansville and continued to work for CRA as a field tech. Most of the work has been Phase I surveys, which include shovel test probes and auger probes. The majority of the work has yielded little, though we have recorded several sites on the six projects this summer. One site in particular earned a Phase II excavation, which includes 50 cm x 50 cm trenches. The work is in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky, so I get to travel a bit between the areas. Overall, the experience of being a field tech has been fun and I have learned a lot through my work in the lab and in the field.

Dan graduated with a double-major in Archaeology and Political Science from UE.

Student Joanne DeMaio at New Harmony, IN

Joanne ('11) writes about her experiences at the New Harmony excavations this summer:

I helped excavate the site of the Harmonist potter, Christoph Weber, in New Harmony. Weber moved to New Harmony with the rest of the Harmonists in 1814; his son later left the Harmonist society and became a potter himself in Illinois. One of the goals of this season was to find the kiln, and we began by digging in the backyard of a house where one of the old maps indicated the location of the Harmonist kiln. During the first couple of weeks of the dig, we didn't find much other than lots and lots of pottery, kiln furniture, and other kiln-related objects. In week three, we uncovered something that looked to be a wall. We followed the wall through four 1x1 meter units, until we lost it. Confused, we dug deeper and revealed a U-shaped structure that we believe to have been the fire box of the kiln.

More information about this project can be found on the homepage of Professor Michael Strezewski of the University of Southern Indiana.

Student Elizabeth Bostelman at New Harmony, IN

Elizabeth (top) writes in her own words about her experiences at New Harmony earlier this summer:

The five weeks I spent excavating with USI’s field school in New Harmony, IN were amazing. I wish the excavation could have lasted all summer! The field school reinforced skills I already had and introduced me to new types of sites. My favorite part of the excavation was undoubtedly the week I spent excavating with the Indiana State Museum archaeologist Bill Whepler. Under his supervision, I was able to work on a CRM project at the Harmonist Community House #2, as well as a restoration project at the Fauntleroy House. The pace, the time frame, and mandated limits for the extent of the excavation offered a glimpse into the life of a state archaeologist. Complex archaeology and a variety of artifacts meant you had to excavate with care and watch for changes in soil type and color, as compared to arbitrary levels in which excavation is done in 10 centimeter increments. As well as finding a variety of artifacts, I met a variety of people. I met traditional students like myself, non-traditional students, and professionals in the field; we started out as a group of strangers and, by the end of the five weeks, we were friends.