Past Events

Bryan Tucker, PhD, RPA

Dr. Tucker has worked in cultural resource management for over two decades. In 2009, Tucker accepted a position at the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). From 2010 to 2012 he served as Georgia Deputy State Archaeologist and Archaeology Section Chief and in 2012 was promoted to State Archaeologist and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. In the fall of 2020, Dr. Tucker left the state and returned to the private sector as a Senior Technical Advisor at New South Associates. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University, an M.A. from Louisiana State University, and a PhD from the University of Florida, all in Anthropology.

J.W. Joseph, PhD, RPA

Dr. Joseph, one of New South’s co-founders, received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and his M.A. in American Civilization, as well as his Ph.D. in Historical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania has experience in historical archeology, urban archaeology, industrial archaeology, historic preservation planning, HABS/HAER documentation, Native American consultation, Traditional Cultural Property studies, historic context studies, cemetery research, and public outreach, and specializes in African-American studies. Dr. Joseph has directed projects and research for many clients including the National Park Service; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; various State Historic Preservation Offices; several Departments of Transportation; the Historic Charleston Foundation; the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation; city governments; and private clients.

With an emphasis on National Register Bulletin 36 Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Archaeological Properties, this seminar will focus on how to apply the National Register Criteria to archaeological sites and how to determine if a site retains integrity. The instructors will discuss each of the four National Register Criteria, with an emphasis on Criterion D. In particular, they will highlight the sequence of evaluation and the relationship between the historic context, significance, and the level of integrity needed for the site to be eligible under D.

1. Outline how to apply the National Register Criteria to Archaeological Sites
2. Explain the relationship between the historic context, significance, and integrity
3. Demonstrate the importance of following the sequence of evaluation laid out in the National Register bulletins

Gillian Wong, PhD, RPA, University of Tuebingen and Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

Dr. Wong received a PhD in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Tuebingen (Germany), a MS in Anthropology from the University of Utah, and a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tuebingen and an adjunct professor of anthropology at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. She is a zooarchaeologist who is particularly interested in how large-scale environmental changes affected past foragers on the local-level. She is currently involved in two research projects, one at Langmahdhalde, a Paleolithic site in southwest Germany, and one at Boomplaas Cave in South Africa. Although both projects focus on paleoecology, she uses different methods at each. At Langmahdhalde, she now focuses on traditional zooarchaeological methods and stable isotopes, while at Boomplaas Cave, she is a microfaunal specialist.

This course is designed for archaeologists at any stage in their career (including students and late career stage) who are not specialists in zooarchaeology or who do not work with the quantification units used regularly in zooarchaeology. We will focus on learning about three of the most commonly used quantification units: Number of Identified Specimens (NISP), Minimum Number of Elements (MNE), and Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI). We will learn how to calculate these units and the history of their development, but, more importantly, will also learn how to interpret them and evaluate their use and applicability to research questions. This course will be broken up into lecture, practical, and discussion portions that will give participants the tools to easily and more accurately interpret zooarchaeological studies that use these three units. Additionally, reference materials, lecture slides, and study examples will be provided to all participants.

1. Explain how NISP, MNE, and MNI are calculated
2. Describe the limitations of each of these quantification units
3. Analyze when it is appropriate to apply each of these quantification units
4. Be able to critically evaluate and understand these units in colleagues' research
5. Be able to discuss how these units apply to and can address specific research questions