Archaeology Field School

The archaeological field school takes place in summer and offers an opportunity for students to develop essential field skills. These include some or all of the following: surface survey, topographical survey with GPS and total station, geophysics, excavation, and processing and analysis of archaeological remains. Recent field schools have taken place in Israel, North Park, Greeley, and Dearfield Colorado.

Course: ANT 325 (undergraduate) or ANT 525 (graduate)

For more information, contact Dr. Creekmore at Andrew.Creekmore@unco.edu.

2018 Field School

In 2018 the archaeological field school traveled to Israel where field work in ANT 325 was combined with a workshop on the archaeology of the holy land (ANT 408) that focused on visits to exemplary sites from a variety of time periods. During the fieldschool students learned geophysics methods including magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar, as well as drone mapping, GPS and excavation skills. We worked at the ancient cities of Hazor and Safi. Hazor was a major Bronze and Iron Age city 15 miles north of the Sea of Galilee that appears in the Bible and other ancient texts as an important center for commerce and religion. Tell es-Safi is biblical Gath, the home of Samson, which is among the largest Philistine cities and is located 35 miles west of Jerusalem.

2018 Field School Photos

Betty and Logan doing magnetometer survey

Taylor Bet Guvrin

Betty working with a total station

The team at the Dead Sea

Team at Hishams Palace

Team at Nimrud Fortress

Betty and Seth work with GPS

Betty and Nicole work with GPR

The team at the Western Wall Jerusalem

The Team at the Cave of Pan

Taylor recording GPS points

Taylor flying a UAV

Seth flying a UAV

Logan flies a UAV

Larissa flying a UAV

Andy digging at Tel Dan

Larissa and Logan digging at Tel Dan

Betty digging at Tel Dan

Nicole digging at Tel Dan

Larissa and Logan digging at Tel Dan

Good morning Tel Hazor!

The team digging at Tell es Safi

Nicole digging at Tell es Safi

Betty digging at Tell es Safi

Taylor digging at Tell es Safi

Logan digging at Tell es Safi

Nicole digging at Tell es Safi

Larissa digging at Tell es Safi

The team at Tel Maresha

2014 Field School

In 2014 we trained on campus, at the Poudre Learning Center in Greeley, and at the Von Trotha Firestien Farm in Bracewell. Next we conducted metal detector survey and excavations at the possible site of Camp Collins in La Porte. We finished up the season with pedestrian survey, soil coring, and excavations at several prehistoric sites outside Walden Colorado.

2014 Field School Photos

The whole crew at the Von Trotha-Firestien Farm (L-R): Robbin Myers, Susan Kuznik, Amy Hudgens, Carlye Schaeffer, Kate Eastep, Connor Blum, Jack Fuqua, Kelton Meyer, Hannah Moore, Phillip Vesey

Drawing features at the Poudre Learning Center test site: Carlye Schaeffer and Jack Fuqua.

Taking elevations at the Poudre Learning Center test site: Amy Hudgens.

Determining soil color at the Poudre Learning Center test site: (L-R) Carlye Schaeffer, Kelton Meyer, Connor Blum, Susan Kuznik.

Sieving soil at the Poudre Learning Center test site: Susan Kuznik.

Sorting artifacts at the Poudre Learning Center: (L-R) Amy Hudgens, Hannah Moore, Robbin Myers.

Taking elevations at the Poudre Learning Center test site: Hannah Moore.

Pedestrian survey at the Von Trotha-Firestien Farm.

Metal detector survey at the Camp Collins site: (L-R) Kate Eastep, Susan Kuznik.

Total station work at the Camp Collins site: Jack Fuqua.

River view test unit at the Camp Collins site: (L-R): Susan Kuznik, Carlye Schaeffer.

Postal workers are not the only ones who work in the rain! Excavations at the Camp Collins site: (L-R): Kelton Meyer, Kate Eastep.

Pedestrian survey, North park: Connor Blum, foreground, Carlye Schaeffer, mid-ground.

Excavating a game blind in North Park: (L-R): Amy Hudgens, Connor Blum.

Dr. Doerner demonstrating tree coring in North Park.

Dr. Doerner explaining the use of the piston corer in North Park.

Tree coring in North Park: Carlye Schaeffer.

Extracting a core: (L-R): Philip Vesey, Jack Fuqua, Robbin Myers (in North Park).

Teamwork is required to use the piston corer effectively: (L-R): Philip Vesey, Dr. Doerner, Kelton Meyer, Robbin Myers (in North Park).

Relaxing at camp in North Park: (L-R): Kate Eastep, Hannah Moore, Carlye Schaeffer.

The crew in North Park, with some of Dr. Brunswig’s crew. Back row (standing L-R): Phillip Vesey, Connor Johnen, Amy Hudgens, Kate Eastep, Robbin Myers, Carlye Schaeffer, Hannah Moore, Susan Kuznik; Front/middle row (leaning or kneeling, L-R): Andy Creekmore, Christie Montgomery, Jack Fuqua, Connor Blum, Kelton Meyer.