Relive the Past

Archaeology labs prepare for move

The Archaeology labs on campus are similar to the artifacts placed within them. They are scattered and have been through some wear and tear.

The labs are currently in three separate buildings on campus. In two to three weeks, they will be moved into the old printing press office in the basement of Old Main. The reason for the move is because of the leaks in the basement of Smith Hall and Old Main, as well as not having enough space for artifacts that arrive yearly.

Many of the artifacts and an ethnographic collection are being stored in boxes in a room on the fourth floor of Smith Hall.

Sociology and Anthropology Department Chair, Anders Linde-Laursen, said the artifacts in the labs and ethnographic collection are unique and teach students about history.

“The archaeology lab and the ethnographic collection in the department hold materials that are of crucial importance for us to understand the past and the world today,” Linde-Laursen said. “Parts of the collections are one of a kind and of world standard.”

Many artifacts and collections are donated to the labs or found by students in the field.

“Most of our collection was donated to us by the Sunrise Museum in Charleston,” Nicholas Freidin, professor of anthropology, said. “They decided to get rid of their ethnographic collection, so they gave us some of it.”

In two other smaller labs located in the basements of Smith Hall and Old Main, tools used for fieldwork and analysis can be found with artifacts such as arrowheads, pieces of pottery, journals and books.

“We are one of only a few places in the state that have fieldwork,” Friedin said. “It is a course at Marshall where students spend the summer working in the ground. Archeology is about people digging, and the only way to actually know how to do that is to do it.”

The new home for the archaeology lab will have more space to display artifacts and hold seminars.

“This move is a great step forward, even if the new location does not meet the physical standards of a permanent home for these important collections,” Laursen said. “It is our hope that resources eventually will become available that will enable us both to secure a permanent home in an environment that preserves the collections indefinitely, as well as facilitate exhibits and other outreach measures that bring the information in the collections to people on campus and beyond.”

Linde-Laursen said he hopes having the labs moved to a larger space will bring more attention to the field.

“My hope is that this will be but one step toward making this part of the resources in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of interest to a much wider group of students, faculty and staff on campus,” Linde-Laursen said.

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