Ed Herrmann, a geoarchaeologist in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, conducts some of his research in Indiana. Geoarchaeology uses methods and theories developed in the earth sciences to address archaeological questions related to human settlement, artifacts, sites, paleoenvironments, and more. Opportunities for students to conduct fieldwork in Indiana include:
Angel Mounds is the largest archaeological site in Indiana and current opportunities for students include museum-related artifact curation (we are currently hiring!), geographic information systems (GIS) database construction, and exhibit display work.
Sediments are important to archaeological research because they often harbor keys to understanding the past. Students interested in understanding chronologies of archaeological sites through the study of earth sciences have opportunities to study earth cores and archaeological site burial. Previous projects have included a field school in a rockshelter, archaeological field surveys, coring along the White and Ohio River to assess archaeological site presence, and most recently, archaeological survey (hiking, locating, and recording sites) of the Hoosier National Forest in the Deam Wilderness near Lake Monroe.
North America has been inhabited by people for about 15,000 years, and Indiana is no exception. Dr. Herrmann is working on a long-term project designed to study Paleoindians, some of the first inhabitants of Indiana. This research includes students who are interested in diverse fields such as changes in the earth and landform analysis (geomorphology), archaeological site locations and GIS (geography), and artifact or excavation analysis (archaeology) to better understand the choices people made regarding where and how to live millennia ago.
The College of Arts