The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has started a community archaeology project on campus, inviting local residents to join forces with students and faculty in uncovering the rich history of the area.
“Our campus has a much deeper history than people know,” said Dr. Maureece Levin, assistant professor of anthropology at UA Little Rock. “If you have ever been interested in what is hiding under our feet on campus and what it can tell us about the history of the land where we work and study, this is your chance to literally dig up that past.”
Work on the UA Little Rock Garden Site Archaeological Project began during the fall 2023 semester when students who enrolled in the Archaeological Investigation class were able to locate the foundation of the mid-20th century Safeway Ice Cream Plant and recovered more than 400 associated historical artifacts.
Community members will have the opportunity to join Levin and her students during the 2024-25 academic year to learn about archaeology fieldwork and lab work. They will be investigating through shovel and auger testing, excavation, and associated archival research. No prior experience is necessary to volunteer.
UA Little Rock students from Professor Maureece Levin’s Archaeological Investigations class excavate the site of the former Safeway ice cream plant near the campus garden.
(Photo by Benjamin Krain)
“You will learn how to properly study and excavate an archaeological site, how to handle artifacts, collect samples, and how archaeologists use what is in the soil to better understand the past,” Levin said. “I want everyone in the community who is interested to learn how archaeology is done. A lot of people think archaeology is a far-off science where you go to another country, but it can happen everywhere humans have been.”
Levin received a one-year $14,510 grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund the community archaeology project. The UA Little Rock College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education also provided matching funds to support the project. Michelle Rathgaber, educational outreach coordinator with the Arkansas Archeological Survey, will serve as the humanities scholar on the project.
Anyone interested in joining the UA Little Rock Garden Site Archaeological Project can fill out the interest form, sign up to volunteer, or contact Levin at mlevin@ualr.edu for more information.
Levin will plan an exhibit of the artifacts found at the project site in 2025.
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