Expanding geoarchaeology opportunities for underrepresented students through Multiproxy Investigations of Human-Environmental Dynamics

Traditional archaeological training often includes participation in summer field schools. However, economic barriers can reduce opportunities for many promising students, limiting their participation in these fields. In addition, archaeology is incorporating more geochemical and geophysical techniques to open new lines of inquiry and these methods require specialized instrumentation.

To expand the training opportunities for young archaeologists in these new approaches while removing obstacles that limit training participation, this project explores a hybrid model combining a classical field school with laboratory analyses focused on research questions exploring interactions between ancient peoples and their environments.

In this project, students actively investigate how centuries of commerce, conflict, and landscape modification altered the ancient world by studying changes in human fecal biomarkers and paleoenvironmental signals. Specifically, they first participate in field work to learn traditional excavation methods as well as non-destructive geophysical imaging and paleoenvironmental techniques.

Each student then focuses on a specific research question, engaging in field collection and contextual analysis, followed by laboratory work and data analysis. Student projects culminate in scholarly presentations at regional or national meetings, providing students with the opportunity to disseminate their work and findings. This training approach includes focused mentorship and the development of critical skills such as data analysis, scientific communication, and professional networking.

The project also develops partnerships with universities to include students from underrepresented groups in archaeology.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.