The Anthropology Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold its annual Archaeology Open House on October 28 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in celebration of International Archaeology Day.
The department is located on the ground floor of McElhaney Hall, which faces the Oak Grove of IUP.
Visitors for the 2022 Anthropology Open House
The theme for this year’s International Archeology Day is “Archeology: Preserving the Past for the Future.”
The open house and all Archaeology Day events are free and open to the community.
Activities will take place on the ground floor of McElhaney Hall and on the east lawn adjacent to the building, weather permitting. All the archaeology laboratories, including the faunal, botanical, and geophysical labs, will open their doors to the public during the event.
Events planned for the day are family-friendly and are designed to be enjoyed by people with all levels of archaeological knowledge, including those new to the topic.
Traditionally, one of the most popular events of the day is the “Stump the Archaeologist” table. Members of the department will examine and try to identify artifacts of all types; people with items that they wish to be identified should bring information on where and when the items were found.
Other events planned for the open house are prehistoric and historic artifact displays from local archaeological sites, artifact identification, stone tool-making demonstrations, early human displays, and lab tours.
There will also be children’s events for all ages, including prehistoric hand-painting, wampum beading, and pottery refitting.
Archaeology Day is a tradition in the Anthropology Department that allows IUP students and faculty to share their knowledge and love of the past with others. The annual Open House is held during Archaeology Month and is celebrated in conjunction with International Archaeology Day, a celebration of archaeology and the thrill of discovery held every year by the Archaeological Institute of America.
Every October, the AIA and archaeological organizations across the United States, Canada, and abroad present archaeological programs and activities for people of all ages and interests.
For more information about the IUP event, contact Lara Homsey-Messer (lmesser@iup.edu) or Andrea Palmiotto (apalmiot@iup.edu).
For more information about International Archaeology Day and associated programming state-wide, visit the Archaeological Institute of America.
About the Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology at IUP places special focus on applied anthropology, which uses anthropological knowledge to address practical, real-world applications, including forensic anthropology, the handling of archaeological remains to meet state and federal regulations (CRM), or work on environmental and social issues.
The undergraduate program in the department has three tracks, all offering hands-on learning opportunities and a wide scope of career-building experiences, including field schools in the region and in Germany at the site of a World War II plane crash. In addition to bachelor’s degree programs in applied anthropology and archaeology, the department also offers a minor and a cultural competencies certificate.
The department also offers a master’s degree in applied anthropology.