An archaeological field school in the piney woods of East Texas is giving Wichita State University students a rare opportunity to bring history to light — and their futures into focus. 

Led by Dr. Crystal Dozier, assistant professor of anthropology, students spent several months during summer 2024 excavating the Boxed Springs site in east Texas, thanks to the generosity and vision of Wichita State alumnus Marc Rowland. Boxed Springs is known for its ties to the early Caddo peoples, an Indigenous group who developed complex agricultural societies, constructed elaborate ceremonial centers, and thrived in the region for centuries. The site became the focus of extensive geophysical surveys, excavation and artifact analysis, with students contributing both in the field and back on campus. 

The combination of fieldwork, research and academic collaboration at Boxed Springs has already resulted in a major scholarly milestone: a peer-reviewed article in the Caddo Archeology Journal, co-authored by Dozier and six Wichita State students and alumni. 

Dozier and her students found evidence of human activity at Boxed Springs dating back at least 6,000 years — including pottery shards, ocher used to dye paint or for tattoos, stone tools and structural remains. Additional findings include magnetometer anomalies suggestive of multiple Caddo structures such as domestic spaces, hearths and a buried mound remnant; daub, fire-cracked rock and ocher with worked edges; plainware ceramics and Early Caddo-style lithics; and radiocarbon dates that help refine the site’s occupational timeline.

“The remote sensing we did confirms that there were multiple houses likely built here,” said Dozier. “We were able to see their outlines left in the magnetic signature of the earth. It’s amazing science.” 

Though the site had been looted before Rowland took ownership, Dozier says their work still revealed important insights — and helped develop future professionals.  

“Almost all of the students who participated in this field school have gone on to graduate programs or careers in archaeology. It’s proof that this kind of applied learning leads to real outcomes,” she said. 

One of those students is Doug Kressly, who served as the graduate student project lead and crew chief for the excavation. Now an archaeologist with the Kansas Historical Society, Kressly says Boxed Springs stood out from other digs. 

“This project gave students the chance to develop skills in a remote environment, which offered a unique learning experience,” he said. “My research focused on the location of mound features and how modern land use may impact cultural materials. That knowledge can help shape preservation strategies for future research.” 

Other students contributed to the project through lab-based analysis. Gracie Tolley, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology from Wichita State, joined the research after the field season had ended. She now manages the Quantum Devices Laboratory at the University of Arkansas but credits her time at WSU with shaping her research skills. 

“I joined the project through Dr. Dozier’s graduate seminar,” Tolley said. “I studied daub and fire-cracked rock — materials that can tell us about how people built their homes or cooked their food. These often-overlooked artifacts were some of our first sources of evidence of structures at the site.” 

The article documents the first professional survey of the eastern half of the site and includes new radiocarbon dates, excavation data and artifact analyses. And while many of the artifacts are currently in Wichita for study, they’ll ultimately be archived at the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory in Austin, a professional repository that ensures long-term preservation and access for future researchers. 

“This research was actually inspired by a Wichita State alum who reached out to the university,” Dozier said. “Marc Rowland was aware that his property had archaeological significance and wanted to know more. He’s contributed significantly — most of it going directly to student support, including equipment transportation and scholarships for credit.” 

Rowland, who earned his degree in accounting from WSU in 1975, said the idea came to him after a conversation with Elizabeth King, now-retired president and CEO of Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement.  

“Very few times, in my experience, do students get to realize real-life, successful adventures in their educational lives,” Rowland said. “That was the goal. And mission accomplished.” 

He turned over full control of the site to Dozier and provided facilities for students to stay on site. For Rowland, the goal was never about collecting artifacts but about student development and deepening the academic record of early Caddo peoples.  

“All of the artifacts belong to the university,” he said, “some of which are in their possession, some still sitting on my dining room table.” 

Rowland’s support gave students the space and resources to fully engage in the research — from uncovering artifacts in the field to analyzing and interpreting them back on campus. That kind of immersive experience helped them build confidence, sharpen their skills and contribute to the broader understanding of Caddo history. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our students making real contributions to the field,” said Dozier. “They’re learning, publishing, leading and helping tell the story of a people whose legacy still lives in the region today.” 

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Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

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