Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Innovation Projects - Fieldwork

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Dr. Martha E. Morgan at her field site in Morocco, where she explores the history of metallurgy.
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William Middleton visiting the site of Hatusas, Turkey.
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Three RIT students in a tomb at Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexcio.
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A class of RIT students making stone tools in "exploring ancient technology."

Several of our faculty and students are actively involved in studying human social history by a focus on the material culture of the past. This field of study is called archaeology. Archaeologists study the physical traces of past human behavior, for example, pottery, stone and metal tools, and the remains of ancient dwelling sites. The archaeologist explains how human society has changed and developed over time using such physical evidence. Archaeology is increasingly employing techniques from the physical sciences to build an ever more detailed picture of human past. Some of our students work side by side with faculty to explore the worlds of the past through hands-on applications of physical science techniques in a diverse range of fields, including chemistry, metallurgy, biology, and material science, applying these disciplines in a novel and challenging context.

One set of photos features Dr. Martha Morgan at her field site in Morocco, where she explores the history of metallurgy from the past into the present. The other photos feature Dr. William Middleton at work in Turkey and Mexico, where he has created an archaeological summer field school with participating students.