REU Site: Exploring Globalization through Archaeology

Texas State University - San Marcos, San Marcos TX

Investigators

Abstract

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. The Exploring Globalization through Archaeology REU is an international eight-week summer program designed for students to acquire research and technical skills in the multidisciplinary fields of anthropological archaeology and forensic archaeology, and to prepare them for graduate study or employment following graduation. International experience is critical to the development of a globally competitive workforce, and this project will engage students with people from different locales and experiences in research designed to explore the history and development of modern globalization along with its impacts on human societies. The project seeks to: 1) expose underrepresented ethnic and racial minorities, women, and veterans to scientific research in an international setting; 2) expose students to the processes of formulating and designing scientific research projects and gathering field and laboratory data to address scientific research questions; 3) develop students? communication skills, both written and verbal, through presentation of their scientific findings to professional and general audiences; 4) encourage students to undertake scientific research while working in teams as well as individually; and 5) encourage students to pursue further education or career opportunities in science-related fields. The Exploring Globalization through Archaeology REU site is modeled as a team-based learning experience where students will work in teams using cutting-edge technologies and standard methodologies from anthropological archaeology and forensic archaeology to collect and analyze data that answer questions about modern globalization. Students will be involved in the scientific study, analysis, and interpretation of landscapes, architecture, material culture, and human skeletal biology leading to a broader understanding of the range of human responses to globalization. By incorporating evidence from domestic, agricultural, military, mortuary, and institutional sites, students will examine globalism through multiple lines of evidence reflecting the diverse experiences and responses of people to the societal changes wrought by globalization. International projects, like this REU Site, provide students opportunities to engage with individuals and institutions from different locales and experiences facilitating the development of skills necessary to participate in a globally competitive workforce. Students will work in collaborative teams while pursuing individual research projects and be directly mentored by professional archaeologists and forensic archaeologists. Students will receive training in archaeological and forensic archaeological field and laboratory methodologies, material culture identification, cataloging, curation, digital mapping, geophysics, historical research, and 3D virtual visualizations. Throughout the project, participants will be tasked to prepare scientific reports on their research projects as well as blog and social media posts and oral and video presentations for a diverse set of audiences. Following the field and laboratory phases, students will present their research at a professional conference and pursue publishing their research in professional journals and other venues. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.