ASSOCIATED COLLEGES OF THE
SOUTH (ACS) STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN HERITAGE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
The student exchanges are part of the ACS Student Exchange Program in Heritage Resources Management, which is funded by a grant from the Associated Colleges of the South Environmental Program to The University of the South (Sewanee). The exchange program is an outgrowth of the ACS conference, Heritage Resource Management in the College and University Environment, held at the University of the South, November 11-14, 1999. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Major McCollough of the Sewanee Department of Anthropology. Collaborating institutions in the program include Sewanee, Washington and Lee University, Centre College, Millsaps College, Santa Clara University, Berry College, and the National Park Service. The program includes student exchanges in archaeological research, resource conservation, historic preservation projects, and field schools; the development of college and university heritage resource programs and student interest groups; student presentations of research results at regional and national meetings; formal training in cultural resource management fields such as National Register of Historic Places practices and law enforcement; and study visits to National Park Service program and research centers.
In November 1999 John McDaniel, professor of
Anthropology at Washington and Lee University (W&L), Katharine Stroh, the
Research Archaeologist for the university, and two W&L undergraduates,
Mackenzie Caldwell ('00) and Matthew Thurlow ('00), participated in ACS
conference, Heritage
Resource Management in the College and University Environment, held at the
University of the South. Mackenzie and Matthew prepared posters detailing the Liberty Hall excavations and
the Leyburn Scholars Program
for the poster sessions held at the conference. In addition to tours of the
historic and prehistoric sites on the Sewanee campus, students, faculty, staff,
and administrators from eight ACS schools, two non-ACS schools, and the
National Park Service worked together to discuss ways to protect resources on
their campuses. The outcome of the conference was a document Recommendations from
the Associated Colleges of the South Conference on the Management of Cultural
Heritage Resources in the College and University Environment, which was distributed
to administrators at all the ACS schools.
The participants of the Heritage Resource
Management in the College and University Environment conference had the
pleasure of meeting Russ Skowronek, Associate Professor at Santa Clara
University, who encouraged us to attend the 27th Annual Western Anthropology
and Sociology Undergraduate Research Conference held at Santa Clara University
on April 8, 2000. Two Washington and Lee students, William Putnam ('00) and
Gina Spezialetti ('01), were able to present papers at the conference. A grant
from the Associated Colleges of the South Environmental Program to the
University of the South (Sewanee) made this trip possible. A multi-school
group, William and Gina traveled with three students from Sewanee (Winslett
Carr, Winsy Dunwody, and David Lumpkin), one student from Centre College
(Kathryn Roe), Katharine Stroh, W&L's Research Archaeologist, and David
Michaels, Sewanee’s Assistant University Archaeologist. This conference not
only provided the students with the opportunity to present research papers in
front of their peers but also meet students from other schools and share ideas
with them.
In May 2000, six students (Mindy Bassett,
Carrie Cutchins, Winsy Dunwoody, Margaret Grimball, David Lumpkin, and Liz
Reynolds) from Sewanee, Dr. Major McCollough, Anthropology professor and
University Archaeologist at Sewanee, and David Michaels, Sewanee’s Assistant
University Archaeologist, arrived in Lexington, Virginia and spent four days
assisting the W&L students who were enrolled in Anthropology 377
(Field Techniques in Archaeology) with excavations at three archaeological
sites. Two of these sites were part of the Longdale Iron Mining Complex located
in the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest, Alleghany County. W&L
has been conducting excavations at Longdale since 1991 as part
of its Early Industries Archaeological Project, which focuses on the
development and evolution of industries of western Virginia and their impact on
the region's economy. The third site was the Paxton House site (44RB466),
located in the City of Buena Vista. The site is centered around an 1831 house,
but contains both prehistoric and historic components. The Sewanee students
spent two days excavating at Longdale and two days at the Paxton House.
On November 9-12, 2000, Washington and Lee
students, Ryan Taylor Ruilova ('00) and Katherine Hill ('03), and Katharine
Stroh visited Sewanee to learn more about their program. The exchange provided
the chance for W&L students to view the archaeological sites on the Sewanee
campus and learn about the school's rich heritage. On November 11th,
Taylor and Kat had the opportunity to excavate at the Michaels Rock Shelter, a
multi-component prehistoric site. The chance to excavate a shelter site,
especially one that appears to reflect the entire prehistory of the Cumberland
Plateau, was definitely a great experience for the students. They were able to
learn the methods other schools use to conduct their excavations as well as
gain experience excavating a shelter site. Additionally, they were able to
attend a special viewing of Sewanee's University Gallery exhibition of Douglas
Mazonowicz's cave art reproductions. Nicholas Mazonowicz, The artist's son, was
also present and able to provide insight and background information about his
father's collection.
The opportunity for students from different colleges to work together is invaluable. The chance for students to travel to different schools, to meet students from those schools and share ideas with them, to learn about a different school's history, and, at times, to assist with that school's archaeological research makes this an extremely important program. Archaeology is a field where it is very beneficial for students to gain a wide variety of experiences by excavating different types of sites, and the exchange program is allowing ACS colleges and universities the opportunity to provide these experiences to our students. The conferences and exchange programs are permitting our students to feel as though they are really a part of the W&L archaeology program and seems to strengthen their dedication to the program.
