Three Applied Archaeology MA students presented research and won awards at the ninety-third annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, held in Carlisle, PA, April 12–14, 2024. They were joined by alumni and faculty in representing IUP Anthropology.
The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology brings together avocational and professional archaeologists to promote the study of Pennsylvania archaeological sites and to share knowledge about these sites. SPA meets every year in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Archaeology Council, Pennsylvania’s professional archaeology association.
Laura Broughton, Emma Lashley, and Elizabeth McCreary each won a James W. Hatch scholarship worth $150 recognizing students with a demonstrated interest in and commitment to Pennsylvania archaeology. Each of these students also brought home poster awards for their thesis research:
- Emma Lashley won first place in the poster competition for “Demography of the Dead: A Survey of Laurel Hill Cemetery, a Rural African-American Cemetery in Western Pennsylvania.”
- Laura Broughton won second place in the poster competition for “Pittsburgh’s Chinatown: a Study of Chinese Immigrants in Western Pennsylvania.”
- Liz McCreary won third place in the poster competition for “A Geophysical Survey of a Possible Mass Burial at Fort Ligonier.”
Emma Lashley describing her research to IUP alumni Sabrina Sepulveda, Luke Nicosia, and Kristen Swanton.
Faculty Ben Ford, Bill Chadwick, and Lara Homsey-Messer, along with alumni Kristopher Montgomery, Andrew Malhotra, Christopher Thompson, and Ryan Rowles also presented at the meetings.
The Pennsylvania Archaeology Council’s annual research symposium focused on Pennsylvania’s moving frontier. IUP alumni Kate Peresolak (SCA/DCNR) and Stephanie Zellers (Skelly and Loy) presented papers, and Professor Ben Ford contributed as a discussant. Associate Professor Lara Homsey-Messer helped organize the session as a member of the PAC research committee.