Archaeology

Paige Mills '14 (wearing yellow and black) at the 2011 Agora excavation

8/29/12

In spring 2012, the Randolph-Macon College faculty approved a new major in archaeology. The archaeology major brings together knowledge from many disciplines to understand our past.

“Archaeology is the study of the human past, based on material culture. Archaeologists excavate objects that are displayed as art, analyze finds using methods and technologies from the natural sciences such as chemistry and geology, read historical documents and texts in many languages, and write with anthropological perspectives,” says Classics Professor Elizabeth Fisher. “The Archaeological Studies program is interdisciplinary, so many of the courses that complete the general education requirements of the liberal arts curriculum also count on the major or minor in Archaeological Studies. There is a lot of choice and three different paths for emphasis: the ancient world, historical archaeology, and archaeological sciences.”

Field work is an integral part of the archaeological program, and core classes provide opportunities to practice the techniques and methods of archaeology in the field. Students excavate at local historic sites in Hanover County or can choose to excavate at other sites around the world, including the Agora Excavations in Athens, Greece.

The new program emphasizes World Heritage stewardship and the safeguarding of historic sites in all areas of the world.

“An important component of archaeology today is learning about the laws and conventions that apply to archaeology, as well as the issues that make archaeology both popular and controversial,” Fisher explains. “Students of international studies, environmental studies, political science and business benefit from understanding the influence archaeological research has on national, regional, and cultural identities and attitudes toward land use, urban planning, and economic development.”

This newest addition to R-MC’s curriculum offers students a wide variety of career choices. The archaeology major trains students to work as field archaeologists in any area of the world, and the major or minor is useful for the art historian, historian, teacher and politician.

“Even if students choose to follow archaeology avocationally while pursuing a different career, training in archaeological studies enriches their understanding of the world and the diverse and amazing achievements of all humans in the past,” says Fisher.

Fisher, an archaeologist, earned her B.A. from William and Mary, her M.A. from Florida State and her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She joined the R-MC faculty in 1988. Her most recent archaeological excavation was conducted during the summers of 2011 and 2012 in Thebes, Greece.