The Archaeology Research Center (ARC) at Lee University provides archaeological research services on public and private lands in order to better understand and conserve humanity's cultural heritage. Our work is largely volunteer work that involves students, in some way, at every level. A major part of the mission of the ARC is to highlight the service-learning emphasis of the university mission statement by providing our students with opportunities to work at important archaeological sites in the United States and around the world. We also encourage high standards of ethical and moral behavior in our work and life, believing that Christian values should guide what we do, and how we do it.
Projects
Since 1998, Lee University has been involved in the Karak Resources Project in Jordan. KRP is directed by Dr. Gerald Mattingly at Johnson University. KRP has been doing excavations at a Moabite site on the Karak Plateau in Jordan. In addition, regional studies in history, geology, anthropology, soil science, and other areas, have contributed to a holistic picture of life on the Karak plateau from ancient times to modern.
Since 2006, the ARC has provided support for various projects with the Forest Service in the Cherokee National Forest. Forest Archaeologist Quentin Bass has allowed us to conduct archaeological field schools involving clearing and mapping cemeteries and conducting surveys and excavations on important archaeological sites. Some of these sites are linked to the Cherokee removal period (1836-1839 AD) and are nationally important. Our relationship with the USFS is an ongoing one, which will continue to provide opportunities for our students to do important archaeological research.
Since 2009, ARC has been involved in survey and excavations in both eastern and western Colorado. In eastern Colorado, archaeological survey and excavation on a large, privately owned ranch—supervised by archaeologist Dr. Dudley Gardner of Western Wyoming Community College—documented significant prehistoric occupation on the land. That documentation prevented seizure of a significant part of the owner’s land by the federal government under eminent domain. In western Colorado, research on the development of prehistoric agriculture has been conducted in Paradox Valley and at Eagle Rock Shelter on the Gunnison River. This work has also been supervised by Dr. Dudley Gardner, who has been contracted by the Bureau of Land Management. Archaeologist Glade Hadden of the BLM oversees this work. In addition, some work has begun on a prehistoric rock art survey in western Colorado.
| Archaeology Research Center 1120 North Ocoee Street PO BOX 3450 Cleveland, TN 37320-3450 |
Richard R. Jones Curator/Administrator (423) 614-8352 [email protected] |