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Although many people might not find archaeology as exciting as it’s portrayed in the Indiana Jones franchise, Morgan Biggs ’16 does. Biggs, an archaeology major, is working with Assistant Professor of Archaeology Nathan Goodale to analyze artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Archaeological Project (SNAP). Last summer, Biggs attended Hamilton’s field school, led by Goodale, and excavated artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Pithouse Village in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.

Hamilton College’s highest awards for teaching were presented to four faculty members during the annual Class & Charter Day ceremony on May 12. Associate Professor of Russian Franklin Sciacca, Associate Professor of Music Rob Hopkins,  Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adam Van Wynsberghe and Nathan Goodale, assistant professor of anthropology, received awards. Professor of History Doug Ambrose was named recipient of Student Assembly’s Sidney Wertimer Award.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale and Visiting Instructor Alissa Nauman presented “Digging into First Nations history in the Columbia Valley: Lessons from an archaeological dig near Lemon Creek” at Revelstoke Museum in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, on Monday, July 29.

Eleven students from Hamilton College, Western Connecticut College and Selkirk College are participating in a six-week intensive archaeology field immersion course in the prehistory, history, ethnography and language of the indigenous peoples of the interior Pacific Northwest. Program director, Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale was interviewed on “Radio West,” a program on CBC/Radio-Canada on July 6 about the field school and its goals. 

An article written by several members of the Hamilton community was published in the May issue of The SAA Archaeological Record, the magazine of the Society for American Archaeology.

A film produced by Erica Kowsz ’11 and Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale, along with Irish filmmaker Kieran Concannon and University of Notre Dame Professor of Anthropology Ian Kuijt, was published by The Archaeology Channel.  Silent Stones of Inishark: Memories, Archaeology, Landscape was featured in a January “Video News” segment.

The national media highlighted Hamilton College in multiple ways throughout 2012 by focusing on faculty research and expertise, featuring opinion pieces, and announcing new endeavors and special student projects. From The Today Show to NPR’s All Things Considered to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the college was visible in the media across the country.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale and his work with students and other faculty in the Slocan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, were featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education in its Sept 17 issue. “Archaeologists Uncover Markers of an ‘Extinct’ Ancient Tribe on Contested Land” provided an overview of the work that Goodale has been pursuing in the last decade excavating the land of the Sinixt people to document the archaeology of First Nations in the valley.

Hamilton College archaeologists were well-represented on the program of the 77th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology held April 18-22 in Memphis, Tenn. Several students, faculty members and alumni presented research with other Hamilton alumni in attendance.

It is not often that an archaeology class has the opportunity to excavate a site of probable historic significance without leaving campus. Having examined a previously discovered inscribed stone at the class’ site, members of the Archaeology of Hamilton’s Founding course have unearthed two additional inscribed stones in their first month of digging. The most recent was uncovered on Sept. 29 and is related to the other two, according to Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale, who developed and teaches the course.