For Archeology Month, a group of mainly anthropology majors and graduate students is heading to Archeology Days at Mounds State Park this weekend.
There is going to be an open display of items to the public from previous research, artifacts and posters of what they have done and learned. They will also be doing a 50 by 50 centimeter excavation behind Bronnenberg Historic House to look for signs of an old building and maybe even a historic dump.
On Saturday, the students are going to allow the public to watch how they dig holes in order to search for artifacts.
Continuing on Sunday, all of the same information will be available to look at and the students will be demonstrating a match surface survey.
Later in the day, there will be a presentation of the works that they found. Both days will start at 11 a.m. and run until about 4:00 p.m.
Kevin Nolan, archaeologist in the department of anthropology, said it's the students who are the ones responsible for the learning opportunities.
"They have fun and are learning a lot at the same time," he said.
Once artifacts are found, the students will write a technical report, analyze, try to figure out what materials they're made out of, photograph, measure and catalog them.
Along with the Archaeology Days, the anthropology department also has multiple projects going on.
One of the projects taking place now is the Mounds Research Project which investigates prehistoric mounds in four regions. It is funded through Preserve America and managed by Nolan.
Christine Keller, applied archaeologist laboratories director, said the mounds they have studied date as far back as the early to middle woodland period.
The project started in July of 2010 and will continue through the summer of 2012.
Keller said the experience the students get through Archaeology Days will benefit their careers.
"Projects administered through the state and collaborating with other university researchers really gives students a chance to get experience with this type of research which is really going to help them in the long run," she said.
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