Wichita State University
Archaeology
Archaeology at Wichita State University
Dr. Blakeslee and students at Etzanoa Field School.
Studying archaeology at Wichita State University offers many unique opportunites for
both undergraduate and graduate students. We emphasize a hands-on approach, integrating
classroom, field, and laboratory training. Our faculty specializes in archaeology of the Great Plains with interestes ranging from the time of the earliest
settlement of the Americas to the historic period, to native trails and sacred sites
as well as political economy and social identity in the past, especially as embodied
through foodways and cooking technologies. Our students have been very successful
in integrating into the larger archaeological community-- from presenting at professional
conferences, to gaining fieldwork experience, to employment within the cultural resource
management field and beyond.
Archaeologists study the material remains (the buildings, tools, pottery, and other artifacts) of societies in order to understand cultures and to infer the processes of cultural change. Anthropological archaeologists are usually, but not exclusively, concerned with the prehistoric cultures (those without written records) of our ancestors.
From fragmentary material remains, archaeologists determine:
- The social organization of past cultures.
- What type of contact they had with other groups in the area.
- The conditions of the physical environment; the animal and plant resources;
and whether the culture had domesticated plants and animals. - The technology, the religion, population size, and the general health of the people.
- The causes for cultural change and/or collapse.