Archaeology Field School
Known formally as ANTH 493-01, the archaeological fieldwork courses at Fisher are off-campus, credit-bearing experiences that will peak your interest in the past and the present.
The Mills Mansion Site
Spend six weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) excavating and treating artifacts at the Mills Mansion site. Less than an hour’s drive from the Fisher campus, this National Landmark property was the homestead of Maj. Gen. William Augustus Mills, a veteran of the War of 1812 and founder of the village of Mount Morris, where the site is located.
The site preserves two centuries of continuous historical occupation, beneath which lies a significant prehistoric Archaic component (ca. 5,000 B.P.) yielding evidence of extensive stone tool making. Previous excavations have revealed an array of 19th-century structures and landscape features around the mansion, which contains onsite labs and serves as base of operations.
Each season's fieldwork explores both the historic and prehistoric components. You will participate in excavation and laboratory processing of finds from the present back through the prehistoric. All equipment is provided, but you are responsible for transportation, meals, and lodging.
Academic credits: 3-6
The Dixon Hollow Site
Learn surveying, excavation, and laboratory techniques as part of Fisher’s three-week archaeology field experience in Hemlock, New York. The site is the former hamlet of Dixon Hollow, located 30 miles south of Rochester along the Canadice Outlet. The late 19th- and early 20th-century hamlet was abandoned by 1920 after residents sold their land to the City of Rochester.
The field school is open to any interested students, although previous coursework in archaeology is recommended. Areas of focus at the site include structures in and around the Mather homestead. Time has been set aside to explore the broader cultural context of the site through field trips to area historical sites.
You will be responsible for meals, transportation, and lodging. For those who do not have summer housing in Rochester, renting an apartment in Geneseo is recommended, due to the proximity to the site as well as opportunities for carpooling to the site each day. Help is available to set up contacts with landlords.
Academic credits: 3-6