Photo by Chris Meyer A seal containing a coat of arms, used to seal official documents, was one of the many finds at the excavation site near Prophetstown. More photos

Undergraduates enrolled in IPFW's first-ever geophysical methods field school now have the chance to learn the complexities of high-tech equipment normally reserved for graduate research.

"It's pretty traditional to take undergraduates out and learn excavation techniques. That's pretty common; but teaching undergraduates geophysical survey--that's what makes this a pretty unique program," said Robert McCullough, director of IPFW's Archaeological Survey and director of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) field school.

McCullough said the idea to offer the REU field school came from his own research interests in geophysical survey. After successfully writing a $150,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to purchase equipment (a magnetometer, resistivity meter and ground penetrating radar), McCullough received another NSF grant to sponsor the undergraduate field school.

McCullough

The IPFW project is one of two field school's the Fort Wayne campus organizes, both based at the Strawtown archaeological research park in Hamilton County. The geophysical field school (offered during second summer session) attracted a dozen students from Indiana and the Midwest, representing IUB, IUSB, IUN, IPFW, Butler University, University of Kentucky and Ball State University. Students received a $2,400 stipend for their research contributions.

Unlike IPFW's traditional field school that focuses on teaching excavation techniques, the REU program teaches students the basics of operating a magnetometer, resistivity meter and ground penetrating radar-equipment archeologists use to track anomalies like metal or underground structures. The equipment is also used to create maps before excavating.

Andrew White, one of two co-directors for the eight-week REU field school, sees the high-tech equipment as tools. "Geophysical equipment is kind of like a toolbox. Sometimes it's appropriate to pull out a hammer and other times a screwdriver. I look at the tools as an arsenal," he said.

During the second week of the field school, students traveled to an archeological site near Prophetstown to learn how to use the equipment, using prehistoric mounds for practice and data collection. The readings from the equipment could be used to create 3-D maps, slicing the mound down to view different depths and soil differences.

"We can make a contour map by keying in the data to see what's underground before we dig," White said as he described how ground penetrating radar assists the research process. "We won't be able to see small things like pottery, but this is a tool for seeing large structural changes. It's the most sophisticated, most expensive and most difficult to use."

Learning the process-and discovering how long it actually takes to collect data-is one of the reasons White views the program as a valuable experience for undergraduates.

IPFW student Mariah Yager described the process as tedious. "The geophysical equipment is pretty repetitive--pushing the cart back and forth; or slamming something in the ground every meter or so," Yager said. "The fact you can see possible features in the ground before you put a shovel in is what's neat."

Learning the process-and discovering how long it actually takes to collect data-is one of the reasons White views the program as a valuable experience for undergraduates.

"We're trying to instill a sense of how science is really done and the flow of it. There's not an immediate sense of gratification," he said. "People might work for years with a single problem before they have that moment when they can actually discover something. It's not like the days when you used to go open an Egyptian tomb and go in and find all the riches and that kind of thing. There's a lot of hard work and pre-thought and analysis. Oftentimes, you come up empty handed, and that's the way science is done."

Editor's note: For more information on IPFW's field schools and geophysical research at Strawtown, visit this Web site: http://www.ipfw.edu/archsurv/strawtown_geophysical.html

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Plans for Strawtown

The REU field school builds on IPFW's ongoing archaeology outreach, specifically expanding its work from its 5,000-square-foot facility at Strawtown, the Taylor Center of Natural History. This interpretive center includes an archaeology lab, classrooms and a curation area. Strawtown offers a 750-acre research hub, including a farmhouse and land reserved for conservation and research. Every year, during the month of September, public events are planned at the site to help raise awareness for archaeology. Last year's activities attracted 2,200 visitors.

Future plans at Strawtown include reconstructing a Native American village and a museum for the public to visit and participate in excavations. For information on park events, visit the Hamilton County Parks web site at http://www.co.hamilton.in.us/parks_details.asp?id=2932