Past Events

Bridget A. Alex, Ph.D., SAPIENS Magazine

Dr. Bridget Alex is the archaeology and biological anthropology editor for SAPIENS, a digital magazine produced by anthropologists for the public. As a freelance writer, she has published more than 140 popular science stories for outlets including Discover, Science, Archaeology, Atlas Obscura, and Smithsonian. Bridget has taught anthropology and science communication at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena City College, and Harvard University.

Dr. Alex earned her Ph.D. in archaeology and human evolutionary biology from Harvard. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Program, and other awards, her research focused on the spread of Homo sapiens and extinction of other humans, such as Neanderthals, over the past 200,000 years. More broadly, she used biogeochemical methods like radiocarbon dating to reconstruct the chronology and biogeography of past human groups. This methodological expertise allowed her to work and publish on diverse archaeological contexts including Paleolithic Eurasia, Stone Age Africa, Iron Age Near East, Moche South America, and Teotihuacan-era Mesoamerica.

The public loves learning about archaeology through news stories, magazines, podcasts, and other mass media outlets. Many archaeologists are well positioned and motivated to create this content, but few know how to enter the mass media industry. This session will provide guidance for anyone interested in pop-science press—from those seeking to dip their toes to individuals who want to pivot careers to science journalism. Rolling back the curtain around pop-science media, we’ll discuss behind-the-scenes processes that transform stories from an author’s initial inklings to professional publications. These include how to “pitch” a story to popular outlets such as Discover or The New York Times and how to work with journalist editors. The seminar will also review different story types (such as op-eds, news, features), media (written, audio, visual, photo), and entryways including occasional contributions, internships, freelance work, and career paths.

1. Survey story types and media
2. Outline the development of a story from pitch to publication
3. Discuss opportunities and career paths in archaeology public communication

Victoria M. Sharp MA, JD, RPA, Rutgers University

Victoria M. Sharp, MA, JD, RPA is an FAA Certified Remote (drone) Pilot and Registered Professional Archaeologist. Her Master of Arts thesis, which will be published in the 2024 edition of the Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology, focuses on a sustainable archaeological approach to hidden gravesite discovery using drone technology.

This introductory course will provide the versatile context needed to deploy a drone for an archaeological research design and CRM/Historical Preservation promotional videos, the types of drones available for the best fit for a research design, what terrain and weather is best to fly, and specialized mapping tools that are used to process the drone imagery and video. The course will also provide an overview of the FAA Remote (drone) Certification Process.

1. Learn when to use drone surveys in CRM projects.
2. To provide information on how drone surveys are a sustainable, minimally invasive approach to below-ground artifact and feature discovery.
3. Learn how versatile drone surveys and videos can be used to promote the CRM industry and educate the public at a low cost. 

Patricia Markert, PhD, RPA, Western University

Patricia Markert is an historical archaeologist and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Western University. She received her PhD from Binghamton University and a Master’s of Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has over ten years of oral history experience. Markert currently directs the Castro Colonies Oral History Project in Medina County, Texas, which is part of a broader community-based archaeology program examining place-making in the wake of Alsatian, German, and Mexican migration to the area. Her dissertation, Making Alsatian Texas: An Archaeological, Linguistic, and Ethnographic Study of Place and Migration in Castroville and D’Hanis, TX, drew on linguistic anthropology theory and methods to make sense of oral history data alongside archaeological data.

Oral history is a valuable tool for archaeological research. It is also its own field with well-established methods and theory; a source of narrative data that involves memory, storytelling, and the relationship between interviewee and interviewer; and a touchstone method for community-based and collaborative research. Like any approach, doing oral history requires proper training, research design, and attention to ethics. This can be difficult terrain to navigate for archaeologists working to stay current in our own field. This seminar provides tools and resources that will help archaeologists conduct ethical and informed oral history research as part of an archaeological project. We will discuss the mechanics of an oral history project, including planning, research design, interviewing, ethics, and equipment. We will also touch on aspects of post-processing, transcription, and analysis, the challenges and importance of storage and curation, and ways to make sense of oral and narrative data.  

1. To broadly understand the equipment, methods, theories, and ethics of oral history research.
2. To assess how oral history contributes to archaeological research and whether oral history is an appropriate tool for a given project.
3. To know the steps needed to imagine, design, and implement an oral history interview or project as part of a larger archaeological research design.

Dr. Ervan Garrison, PhD, RPA, University of Georgia

Dr. Garrison has taught geology and archaeology at the University of Georgia for over 20 years. From 1990 to 1992 he worked as a Marine Archaeologist at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and served as research faculty at Texas A&M University from 1979 to 1989. Dr. Garrison received his PhD. from the University of Missouri and both his B.S. and M.A. from the University of Arkansas.

This seminar provides an introduction to the use of small, low-cost Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) in underwater archaeology. A brief history of these vehicles will be presented from early models to today's vehicle designs. Their potential in support of underwater survey and excavations will be outlined and elaborated. Examples of the use of our ROV for these purposes will be presented using video and still-frame images to highlight the discussion. The limitations of ROVs in underwater research will be discussed. Current and future technological and methodological improvements will close the presentation.

1. How ROVs benefit the study of UW archaeological sites.
2. One ROV does not fit all cases. How to choose. ALL ROV sales brochures are wrong.
3. Archiving ROV data as archaeological "big data."

Sophia Emmons, University of Florida

This lecture analyzes the variability of fish net sinkers from two sites in Huanchaco, Peru: Pampa La Cruz, and Jose Olaya, Iglesia Colonial. Additionally, this presentation will compare the differences in stone net sinkers between cultural occupations spanning over centuries starting with the earliest of the Salinar occupation (400-200 B.C.), the Virú (B.C. 100 – 450/500 A.D.), and the Moche (450/500 – 800/850 A.D.). By analyzing the similarities and differences of the fishnet sinkers, one can infer the types of fishing nets used by maritime communities and their social implications. Fishnet sinkers found in ceremonial context had evidence of being intentionally broken in half, which shows that they were part of elaborate rituals. Studying these lithics gives insight into how integral fishing was in people's daily lives and the ceremonial practices that occurred in these communities.

The Student Affairs Lecture Series in Archaeology (SALSA) provides an opportunity to hear student members present on their current research as well as a space to discuss and connect with other students.