HISTORICAL archaEOLOGY

Beginning in 2015, Northern Kentucky University has conducted archaeological excavations at the Parker Academy site. For 3 seasons, instructors and students from various backgrounds have come together to unveil forgotten and discarded pieces from the school's past. Under the supervision of Dr. Sharyn Jones, participants excavated, layer by layer, to uncover numerous artifacts including assorted types of nails and ceramics, buttons, glass, and faunal remains.

For 3 weeks, students learned various archaeological procedures such as proper troweling techniques, screening, laying out a unit, filling out field forms, and identifying sediments changes. They learned the importance of context and how to identify sediment changes. Following fieldwork, time is spent in the lab. Students learned how to clean, sort, and analyze the artifacts recovered from the field.