Archaeology & Anthropology

Events and News Items

Archaeology Alumni studying clay sourcing in Iraqi Kurdistan

Kyra Kaerchuer, 2010 Archaeology grad, has received a series of grants to study clay sources in Iraqi Kurdistan. Kyra is an Assistant Professor of Biology and General Science at Montana State University-Northern. She will be pinpointing the sources of clays to track exchange patterns, cultural diffusion and technological developments, and create a database for the region's archaeologists to use. 

Research in the Rotunda

Two archaeology students, Sabrina Neurock and Madeline Meltesen, are presenting their research at Research in the Rotunda on March 6. Both are conducting research with Dr. Heather Walder on the Gete Anishinaabe Izhichigéwin [Ancient Anishinaabe Lifeways] Community Archaeology Project. Read about what they're doing, and why it's important in the Campus Connection

Archaeology student wins awards in Geography and Environmental Science mapping competition

Archaeology student Madeline Meltesen won two awards (First and Second place in two different categories) in the Geography and Environmental Science mapping competition this semester. Both posters focused on visualizing data from shovel tests in Frog Bay Tribal National Park as part of Dr Heather Walder's collaborative project in Red Cliff. https://www.uwlax.edu/academics/department/geography-and-environmental-science/news-events/ 

Madeline Meltesen with her PostersMeltesen with poster showing distribution of quartz at Frog Bay site

Recent grad gives talk on drones

Jamin Wolfe, a 2023 UWL graduate was hired by FLYABILITY (flyability.com) a swiss company developing drones for indoor and inaccessible places. Jamin is the company's representative and technical expert representing North America. In this talk Jamin shares his perspective and experience on the future of drone technology's potential applications and interacts with UWL's GIS students.   

Community-Engaged Learning in Red Cliff, Wisconsin

Four archaeology students from UW-La Crosse joined the fifth season of Geté Anishinaabe Izhichigéwin Community Archaeology Project (GAICAP) this summer in Red Cliff, Wisconsin.  They learned to conduct collaborative cultural heritage management in a Native American community, while developing skills in archaeological field methods.  The project is part of a long-standing partnership between the Red Cliff Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (Marvin DeFoe) and academic archaeologists from UW-La Crosse (Heather Walder) and North Dakota State University (John Creese). Together are investigating both ancient and recent historic archaeological sites on the Red Cliff reservation to better understand and protect these significant and sacred places.

Two UWL student participants, Sabrina Neurock and Madeline Meltesen, were supported through Undergraduate Research and Creativity grand funding. As a returning student from the 2022 season, Neurock also served as the undergraduate archaeology lab manager in the 2023 season. Alums of the project also came to visit and volunteer in 2023, including recent graduate Faith Kalvig ('23), who presented her honors senior thesis research. Service-learning is integral to GAICAP, which organizes archaeology outreach programming for K-12 youth and Native American college students and assists with Red Cliff community cultural events such as the annual pow-wow and Ojibwemowin Gabeshiwin (language camp). 

THPO Marvin DeFoe and alum Faith Kalvig

UWL GAICAP 2023: Madeline Meltesen, Hannah Eggert, Sabrina Neurock, Heather Walder, Maddy Stegman

Panoramic view of GAICAP 2023 excavation

Madeline Meltesen excavating

Thompson Alum visit: Left to right: Kim Thompson (US Forest Service, UWL '20), Neurock, Eggert, Stegman

Walder lodge construction - GAICAP students and directors helped THPO build a lodge frame for activities during the pow-wow (Walder pictured here, photo credit Tyrel Iron Eyes)

UWL student at Research in the Rotunda

Archaeology major and senior honors student Faith Kalvig was selected as one of six UW-La Crosse undergraduate researchers invited to participate in Research in the Rotunda.  This annual event at the Wisconsin state capitol brings together students, faculty mentors, and administrators from across the UW-System.  Legislators, alumni, and others in attendance learn about innovative research happening around our state.  Kalvig's poster shares results of her contribution to a collaborative, community-based archaeology project involving the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Red Cliff, WI.

You can also read about the story and an interview with Faith here.

Faith Kalvig at Research in the Rotunda

Serbia 2022 Field School

Dr Amy Nicodemus took several students to Serbia for the 2022 International Field School. One of them, Jamin Wolfe, prepared this video for you to see the site.  And see this news article with more photos from the field school. (Google Translate will work well here.) The article describes the project: 

"In the border of Rábé, which belongs to the Törökkanizsa village, the excavation works are in full swing, according to the plans, the archaeologists and their assistants will have plenty to do for the next four or five years. This is one of the largest Bronze Age sites in the area. The Maros culture can be found in the southern part of Tiszántúl, in the territory of today's Hungary, Romania and Serbia.... The archaeologists are looking for the answer to whether the area of ​​the Rábé site was the center of the social elite, or whether it could have been a commercial center, and what role it played, explained Dr. Amy Nicodemus , assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin in the US, is the head of the research group."