Archaeology Program

Archaeology is the study of past societies through the analysis of their material remains. Archaeology courses are fundamentally interdisciplinary and involve hands-on study of archaeological objects using a variety of scientific techniques and interpretive frameworks that draw from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Our faculty and students engage the past in ways that can address contemporary questions, such as what drives culture change, how do humans shape their environments, what creates resilient societies, what is the role of archaeology in construction of modern identities, and how can we preserve archaeological sites and museum collections for future generations? The multidisciplinary nature of archaeology ensures that students develop the ability to document, research, and interpret both humanistic and scientific data at a high level of detail. Because Archaeology is also community-oriented, connecting people to their pasts, our majors learn to translate academic research into human stories that can be widely shared. This makes them strong writers, communicators, and educators. The skills they develop prepare them for many career tracks, but they are often drawn to law, public policy, education, environmental research, historic preservation, museum collections management, and cultural resource management. 

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