Dr. Berry named UE's Outstanding Teacher of the Year!

I am thrilled to announce that UE Professor of Anthropology Jim Berry was named UE's Outstanding Teacher of the Year during UE's spring 2011 graduation ceremony on May 7, 2011!  Click here for the story.  Dr. Berry has many fans among UE Archaeology alumni, current students and faculty.  Congrats!



Dr. Berry toasts the department during our 20 Years of UE Archaeology celebration. 



Student Summer Plans 2011

The Department of Archaeology and Art History is pleased to announce the summer plans of its majors, which include internships and employment at a variety of institutions and participation in archaeological projects in the US and in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, Romania and Cyprus.

Lizzie B., PAST Foundation's Slobodna Underwater Field School, Key West, FL
Elizabeth B., Internship with the History of Prince William Forest Park’s 45 Cemeteries and Homesteads, National Park Service, VA
Josephine C., Internship with Palm Beach County archaeologist, FL
Elizabeth F., Excavations at Poggio Civitate (Murlo), Italy
Amber F., Excavation and Internship at James Madison’s Montpelier, VA
Chris G., Summer Program Coordinator, Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
Kevin K., Rough Cilicia Archaeological Survey Project, Turkey
Kaman L., Internship in the Department of Membership and Development and paid position in the museum, Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science, IN
Rachel L., Excavations at the Porolissum Forum Project, Romania
Stephanie L., Education Programs Assistant, Angel Mounds State Historic Site, IN
Samantha M., Excavations at Poggio Civitate (Murlo), Italy
Ben O., Internship at the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University, IN
Marley R., Excavations with Courson Archaeological Research near Perryton, TX
Alyssa R., Internship at Evelyn Lehman Culp Heritage Collection, IN
Anna S., Totah Archaeological Project Field School, NM
Katy S., SHUMLA Field Methods in Rock Art Field School and Internship, TX
Sara S., National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates funded Koros Regional Archaeological Project, Hungary and Cyprus
Leah T., Internship at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, VA
Lauren W., National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates funded Fellowship in Bioarchaeology, University of Notre Dame, IN
Colleen W., Excavations at Tell Timai, Egypt
Porsche W., Facilitator at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL

In addition, five Archaeology majors will participate in the Summer Session I trip to Jordan in May-June led by Professors Byrne, Ebeling and Milner: Nate B., Emma D., Emily M., Ashley M., and Marie M.

There's a coffin in the Department of Archaeology and Art History's fourth floor suite ...

... and it's not meant to be a threat to end-of-semester slackers. 

At least not yet.

Created by junior Archaeology and Art History major Kaman L. for Ancient Technology class, this coffin is a replica of the Middle Kingdom coffin of Lady Mesehti from Asyut, Egypt now in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, CA.  The design of the new coffin has been modified to fit its creator.

Come check it out!

Sarah B. talks about her trip to Paris

During my time at Harlaxton, I've had the chance to go to several exciting places. Just a few of them include London, Bath, Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona and Dublin. I've enjoyed visiting all of these places, but so far one of my favorite places to explore has been Paris. There were so many beautiful parts of the city to see. I really enjoyed seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and, of course, Notre Dame. All were very impressive and breathtaking. I must admit it was a little surreal being able to see these buildings and monuments, which I've learned so much about, in person.

I think my favorite part of the trip was going to see the Palace of Versailles. It was more gorgeous that I could have imagined. There were chandeliers and gold everywhere, and the gardens, while not in full bloom, were still absolutely beautiful. They were also a little confusing, however, and we got turned around several times! Through the gardens are the Grand and Petit Trianons which were occupied by Marie Antoinette before the French Revolution. These were probably my favorite buildings to see. Two words: pink marble. All in all it was a fantastic trip with great sights and wonderful food...fantastic desserts and lots of bread (people just carry it around with them; it's amazing). I would highly recommend a trip to Paris, the City of Love!

Flintknapping!

About two weeks ago, students from UE and USI participated in a 4-hour flintnkapping workshop with master flintknapper Larry Kinsella at Angel Mounds.



UE Archaeology students approach the Interpretive Center.

By all accounts, everyone learned a lot from Larry and had fun banging up chert and obsidian.


Shirley Schwarz Prize Announcement

The Department of Archaeology and Art History is pleased to announce the 2011 Shirley J. Schwarz Prize for the best undergraduate research paper on an art historical topic. The winner will receive a $250 cash prize.

Papers entered need not have been written for an art history class or a class in any particular discipline. They must, however, address an issue related to the history of visual art or the impact of visual art on society. Papers from disciplines such as art history, history, archaeology, art, visual communications, and other areas may qualify, depending on the subject matter. The award is intended to support undergraduate research in the history of art, and so entries must include formal documentation in the form of footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical notes, along with a bibliography of sources consulted. Undocumented essay-type assignments should not be submitted. A faculty jury will evaluate papers submitted. Entries will be judged on the basis of the quality of research evident, critical analysis, proper documentation, and clarity.

Students should submit one complete copy of their paper. Entrants' names should not appear anywhere within the body of the paper. Each submission must have a SEPARATE title page indicating the title of the paper, student's full name, campus address, and phone number.

In order for the competition to be fair, students should not ask or expect faculty to critique or proofread entries for them. They certainly may (and should) respond to any comments, suggestions, or corrections made on the original assignment, if it derives from a paper submitted for a class.

The deadline for submissions is April 29, 2011; the winner will be announced in May. Please submit entries to the administrative assistant of the Archaeology/Art History Department, Kimberly Higgins, in Olmsted Hall, Room 350.

Joanne D. and Alli H. present at NCUR

Two Archaeology seniors - Joanne D. and Alli H. - presented their original research at the 2011 National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Ithaca, NY March 31-April 2.  Both received funding from the UExplore Undergraduate Research Program at UE to support their research in 2010-11.

Joanne's presentation, The Kuester Site, focused on Joanne's analysis of the pottery from this Native American site in southwest Indiana. 

Alli's presentation, Origins of Egyptian Trade in the Southern Levant: A Case Study from Israel's Coast, focused on Alli's analysis of the ground stone artifacts from the site of Tel Ifshar, Israel.

Congratulations to both!