Archaeology
If you have always dreamed of being an archaeologist, now is your chance. Uncover Kentucky’s past and learn about the process of archaeological research by actually doing archaeology. The University of Louisville Department of Anthropology has teamed up with the Kentucky Archaeological Survey (KAS) to provide students with exciting opportunities in archaeological research. Students can participate in archaeological projects in several ways. Courses offered by the department provide opportunities to tour local KAS projects to see first hand the concepts taught in the classroom. Students also can volunteer to become a part of the excavation team and a get hands on archaeological experience. For a more intensive archaeological experience, semester long internships with KAS are offered for credit through the Department of Anthropology.
What is the Kentucky Archaeological Survey?
The Kentucky Archaeological Survey is jointly administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council and the University of Kentucky. It is primarily focused on public outreach, service to state government, research projects, and working with local governments and state universities. Most projects have a public component geared towards participation in excavations by the general public or school groups. KAS projects are accessible to local university students. For more information log on at http://www.kyheritage.org/kas.htm
KAS staff archaeologist Jay Stottman directs the projects conducted in the Louisville area and is a part time lecturer at the University of Louisville Department of Anthropology. Jay is a native and current resident of Louisville. He received his BA in Anthropology from the University of Louisville and his MA in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky. He has been working on archaeological projects in Kentucky for over 14 years with experience in cultural resource management and university research projects. Although Jay has experience in prehistoric archaeology, his focus is in historical archaeology. His interests include public archaeology, urban archaeology, and the study of plantations, farmsteads, and slavery.
Internships
Internships are available to majors in the Anthropology Department for course credit. The internship is focused on public archaeology, where students will work on one or more projects with a strong public or educational component. Along with one on one instruction in basic archaeological field and lab techniques, interns will learn how to communicate the archaeological process and concepts to the public. Additionally, interns will be required to eventually teach the basic concepts and techniques of archaeology to school children, as there is no better way to learn than to teach.
Interns are required to work from 10 to 15 hours a week. Work schedules are very flexible and can be designed around class and work schedules. Fieldwork is conducted at several excavation sites in the Metro Louisville area within a short driving distance of the university. Labwork is conducted at the Department of Anthropology or at the University’s archaeological lab facilities on Arthur Street.
Research Projects
KAS conducts many projects
throughout Kentucky including several in the Metro Louisville area.
Occasionally small short-term projects are conducted in the area
and are available to University of Louisville students.
Recently these have included, excavations at the Squire Earick
House in the Portland Neighborhood, the Walton House in the town of
Anchorage located in eastern Jefferson County, and more notably the
Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
University of Louisville Department of Anthropology Students
participated on each of these projects.
KAS currently has three active long-term research projects in Metro Louisville including sites at Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing, The Farnsley-Kaufman House, and The Portland Wharf. These sites offer opportunities to study a variety of archaeological research topics such as slavery, consumerism, ethnicity, historic landscapes, historic architecture, 19th century urban life, gender studies, and much more.
Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing
Research at this mid 19th century plantation located in southwestern Jefferson County began in 1989 with a survey by The University of Kentucky. The University of Louisville conducted several excavations at the site in the early 1990s. KAS took on the task of locating former outbuildings associated with the farm and administrating archaeology education programming in 1995. Since then, three outbuildings have been completely excavated, including a ca. 1830s detached kitchen, an 1880s wash house, and a 1860 slave/tenant house. The detached kitchen has been reconstructed based on the findings from the archeological research. Currently, work continues at the location of a mid 1800s barn. This site also produces extensive prehistoric remains from all periods of Kentucky’s Native American past.
Each year, nearly 5,000 school children participate in the Building Blocks of History fieldtrip program at Riverside. The program is multidisciplinary consisting of an architecture, history, and archaeology activity. Through this project KAS and University of Louisville students provide a public service to the local community, as well as contribute to our expanding knowledge of the past. For more information log on at www.riverside-landing.org
The Portland Wharf
Research at the Portland Wharf, an extinct urban area located in the Portland Neighborhood began in 1983 with a preliminary study by the University of Louisville. What was once a bustling mid 19th century river town that rivaled Louisville, lost its link to the river when a floodwall was erected in the 1940s. Now the area is slated to become a park focused on Portland’s rich history and ongoing public archaeological research. Recently, a survey of the entire 55 acre park revealed a vast intact archaeological site with street paving, house foundations, and artifacts from the 1800s buried beneath the surface. Future work at the site will include extensive excavations to fully expose these features of the past. Although archaeology is a focus, this project also will be an anthropological study of the effects that public archaeology has on existing communities. University of Louisville students will be an important part of this project.
The Farnsley-Kaufman House
Research at this early farm in southwestern Jefferson County began when a portion of the property and house was slated for demolition. The Jefferson County School Board wanted to build a new school at the site. David Farnsley settled the property and built a log house in ca. 1811. Farnsley built a brick addition in 1830 and the Kaufman family made subsequent additions in the late 1800 to mid 1900s. Realizing the educational value of the property, the School Board saved the house and the new Farnsley Middle School was constructed behind the property. In order to connect this new educational resource with the school, an archaeology program with 6th grade students was initiated. Over the last five years, the results of the archaeological project have contributed greatly to the ongoing restoration of the house and a better understanding of the site’s history. For more information log on at
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/schools/middle/farnsley/project/farnsley/farnsley.htm
Farmington
Plantation
Although not a KAS project, interns also work at Farmington Plantation
with part-time lecturer in the Anthropology Department, Lori Stahlgren.
Ongoing research at Farmington concentrates on examining
anti-bellum slavery on a Kentucky hemp plantation. Farmington is one of
Jefferson County=s premier historic sites and was the home of the well known Speed
family. While quite a bit is
known about the Speeds, Farmington was also home to 57 enslaved African
American until emancipation in 1865.
Little is known about the African Americans who lived and worked at
Farmington. Archaeological
investigations have uncovered a cabin that may have served as a home for
some of the enslaved people at Farmington and a six week field school to
be held during the summer of 2003 will hopefully reveal more about the
lives of all who lived at Farmington.
The research at Farmington will be conducted by Lori as part of her
dissertation research. Lori is a native and current resident of
Louisville. She received her
BA from Western Kentucky University, JD from the University of Louisville
Brandeis School of Law, MA in Anthropology from Northern Arizona
University and is currently working on her PhD in Anthropology at Syracuse
University in New York. Lori=s
focus is on historical archaeology, and her interests include anti-bellum
plantation studies, slavery, public archaeology, and archaeology and the
law.
For
more information on Farmington log on at http://www.historicfarmington.org
and for more information about field school opportunities at Farmington
contact Lori at lori_stahlgren@hotmail.com