ERIC EJ905164: Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice

2004·0.05 MB·English

by  ERIC

Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning Summer 2004,pp. 89-99
Implementing Community Service Learning
through Archaeological Practice
Michael S. Nassaney
Western Michigan University
The Anthropology Department at Western Michigan University has sponsored an annual archaeological
field school since the mid-1970s. Over the past decade,students have worked with community and gov-
ernment organizations,learning to apply archaeological methods to real world problems to preserve and
interpret significant heritage sites. They come to see historical knowledge as subject to political contro-
versy - a valuable civics lesson that emerges from the realization that the community consists of multiple
audiences with different visions and interpretations of history. Engaged archaeology promotes civic
involvement and moves beyond the rhetoric of serving the public good that characterizes conventional
archaeological training and scholarship. Examples of collaborative research drawn from partnerships
with several public and private agencies illustrate the benefits of this approach for learning and service.
Archaeology and Service-Learning (Derry & Malloy,2003). This article examines the
impulses moving the teaching of archaeology
T
he mantra of public archaeologists in the
toward service-learning, and how recent archaeo-
1970s was the need to preserve the past for the
logical practice at one large Midwestern, student-
future by managing the archaeological record, a centered, research university has benefited from
nonrenewable resource (McGimsey, 1972). It is these efforts. The archaeology program at Western
more than a little ironic that for a field that Michigan University is in many ways a microcosm
embraces the rhetoric of serving a public good, of broader national trends. In employing this pro-
demonstrated civic engagement and public service gram as a lens to examine archaeological teaching
are so scant. Archaeologists seldom think of their and practice,this article also examines whether ser-
practice or its teaching as service-learning, even vice-learning is welcome in archaeology and the
though they provide a service and have been possible benefits that could result if the field more
employing experiential learning techniques for fully embraced this pedagogical approach.
decades. Students are frequently told that fieldwork
A Primer in Archaeological Practice
will provide them with a better understanding of
and Pedagogy
the problems that archaeologists face in the real
world more than countless hours of classroom
Archaeology in the Americanist tradition is a
study. There is no substitute for the experience of
subdiscipline of anthropology that focuses on the
laying out a grid, finding an artifact, or puzzling
material remains of (past) human activities (i.e.,the
over a soil stain on a hot afternoon. Despite the his-
archaeological record) as a means of writing par-
tory of archaeological pedagogy,the field has been
ticular histories and constructing general theories
slow to adopt an explicit model of community ser-
about the human condition and long-term social
vice learning in its goals and design. The preserva- change. As with many areas of the social sciences,
tion and interpretation of the archaeological record archaeology has experienced significant epistemo-
is usually adequate justification for the work that logical, theoretical, and methodological changes
archaeologists do. Yet some archaeologists recog- over the past several decades (Moore & Keene,
nize that practice involves more than just preserva- 1983; Patterson,1995; Trigger,1989). While inter-
tion for academic or scholarly purposes; it provides nal forces have clearly transformed the field, sig-
the opportunity for student engagement in the nificant external forces have also impacted archae-
archaeological enterprise—an entry point into an ology. Perhaps paramount among these has been
inherently political process. By involving commu- federal legislation mandating that the archaeologi-
nities in archaeological projects,archaeologists can cal record be investigated with taxpayers’dollars if
also build public support for their work and it is threatened by public construction projects that
enhance the quality of archaeological research have a potentially adverse impact. In essence,
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Nassaney
archaeology aims to serve a public good by pro- the service of writing histories, with little public
tecting and investigating significant sites, so that input, and often in relative secrecy. For example,
collective American history can be recorded before students typically might be led into the field (often
the material evidence is destroyed. One result of the woods) after a landowner’s permission is
the emergence of “public archaeology” is the obtained. They might dig almost uninterrupted for
recognition that archaeologists are accountable to six weeks only to re-emerge from the field and
the public—those who directly or indirectly pay retreat to the lab with bags of goodies (i.e., arti-
archaeologists’ salaries (McGimsey, 1972; facts), specialized samples, and other archaeologi-
Watkins,Goldstein,Vitelli,& Jenkins,1995). cal data (e.g., notes, drawings, and photographs).
Compliance with legislation has led to a complete Information generated from these materials eventu-
restructuring of the labor pool and employment ally makes its way to conference papers, theses,
opportunities in archaeology (Paynter, 1983; and dissertations where it is generally accessible
Schuldenrein & Altschul, 2000; Zeder, 1997). only to the archaeological intelligentsia. Seldom do
Whereas most jobs were in academia and museums the public (or even the landowner) learn or benefit
prior to 1970, these positions constitute a small from the study and its findings. The sensitivity of
minority open to practicing archaeologists today. site location information and perceived problems
Most practitioners are employed by government of looting make archaeologists reluctant to invite
agencies,or in the field of cultural resource manage- the public to see where they are working and what
ment,working in compliance with legislation to con- they are doing. Finally, the researcher usually
serve the archaeological record for future generations determines the research questions chosen for study
as part of our national heritage. This contrasts with and sites selected for excavation. It is no wonder
earlier work driven by research questions that were the public remains uninvolved, even if they are
seldom developed explicitly in the public interest. interested. A wide gulf often separates the public’s
Changes in the demands on archaeologists have perceptions of archaeological work from actual
not yet led to a shift in how archaeologists are
practice, as indicated by the popular image of
being trained,leading some to see this disparity as
Indiana Jones. The idea that non-archaeologists
a crisis in the field (Bender & Smith, 2000). But
should benefit directly from university instruction
even before this crisis was recognized, some early
is inconsistent with professional attempts to isolate
voices called for archaeologists to make their work
the archaeological endeavor.
relevant by producing information that mattered
Though this may be a caricature of archaeologi-
beyond the academy (Ford, 1973; Fritz, 1973).
cal practice, in reality archaeology is never con-
These concerns were followed by a litany of criti-
ducted in a vacuum because it affects many people
cal archaeologists who pointed out that archaeo-
including taxpayers, landowners, and descendant
logical practice and interpretations are embedded
communities (Wood & Powell, 1993). Thus, it
in social and political structures, and serve to cre-
would seem that archaeology should indeed have a
ate and reproduce those structures (Gero, Lacy, &
service component. Furthermore, archaeology has
Blakey, 1983). Of course, archaeology was never
many applied dimensions that deal with real-world
politically neutral; it always had ideological conse-
concerns and offers the potential to build bridges
quences as well as practical applications. The polit-
beyond the academy (Downum & Price, 1999). In
ical dimensions of archaeology became fully real-
other words, archaeological practice ought to be
ized with the passage of the Native American
right at home with service-learning.
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990
that accords some Native American sites a new An Archaeologist Looks at
level of protection and requires that descendant Community Service Learning
communities be consulted whenever ancestral
human remains are encountered (Powell,Garza,& Given the mission of higher education, it is sur-
Hendricks, 1993). Various other marginalized prising that graduate study in anthropology typical-
groups with a vested interest in archaeological ly offers little explicit instruction in the teaching of
interpretations also became more vocal in the anthropology—one generally learns by imitating
1990s. A good example is the dialogue begun by one’s professors and then by doing. Thus, peda-
African Americans over human remains recovered gogical styles in anthropology and their effective-
from the African Burial Ground in New York City ness remain under-examined (but see Kottak,
(LaRoche & Blakey,1997). White, Furlow, & Rice, 1997; Rice & McCurdy,
Despite this change in climate, it is still not 2002). What is clear is that many subfields of
uncommon to train students to conduct archaeolo- anthropology,particularly archaeology,have relied
gy in pursuit of esoteric knowledge, putatively in on experiential learning. Because archaeological
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Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice
training is inherently experiential and because opportunity to reintegrate archaeological theory
archaeology professes to offer a public service, and practice. Working with the community fore-
there would seem to be a natural affinity between grounds particular histories and underscores the
service-learning and archaeology. idea that meanings are actively contested by multi-
As with many nascent fields,there has been con- ple audiences. At the same time,contested histories
siderable debate over the definition, goals, meth- complicate the notion of what is meant by commu-
ods, outcomes, and means of evaluating service- nity. Conducting archaeology from a service-learn-
learning (Crews,2002,pp. vii-ix). It is perhaps less ing perspective creates a synergy that leads to
important what our activities are called than what greater reflexivity anthropologists can use to illu-
we share in substance (Stanton, Giles, & Cruz, minate the questions we ask, evidence we collect,
1999, pp. 210-211). For the purposes of this dis- and interpretations we propose.
cussion,I define service-learning as “an education-
Archaeological Practice at
al activity, program, or curriculum that seeks to
promote student learning through experiences Western Michigan University
associated with volunteerism or community ser-
In fall 1992, I was hired in the Department of
vice”(Schine,1997,p. iv). The defining features of
Anthropology at Western Michigan University
such a program include service provided to a com-
(WMU) to teach courses in archaeological theory,
munity in response to a need, active reflection,
method, and the archaeology of complex societies
improved student academic learning,and advance-
in eastern North America. I was not asked to devel-
ments in student commitment to civic participation
op a program in service-learning (in fact, I had
(Howard,2003,p. 3).
never even heard of service-learning),though I was
The roots of service-learning lie in the land grant
charged with teaching students how to conduct
colleges of the 19th century (Liu, 1999). The con-
archaeology by putting theory into practice. My
temporary expression of the movement emerged in
most recent research had focused on the emergence
the 1980s and 1990s in response to the reform crit-
of social inequality in ancient Native American cul-
ics of higher education who “noted a gap between
tures of central Arkansas,so I decided to bring the
traditional curricular content and society’s needs for
1994 WMU archaeological field school to that
new competencies for workers and citizens”(Eyler
region to continue this work. Before leaving for the
& Giles,1999,pp. 12-13). Unlike classroom learn-
field, and after returning, I began receiving
ing,real-world learning is generally more coopera-
inquiries from private individuals, community
tive or communal than individualistic, accom-
groups, and government agencies in southwest
plished by addressing genuine problems in complex
settings rather than isolation, and involves specific Michigan asking me if I would be interested in
contextualized rather than abstract knowledge helping them solve their archaeological problems. I
(Eyler & Giles,p. 9). Many service-learning propo- soon realized that I could teach students about
nents agree that it is intellectually engaging for stu- archaeological field techniques right in my own
dents to come to terms with conflicting perspectives backyard, and tailor these projects to my research
and take a position, no matter how tentative (Eyler interests. In addition, there was the potential to
& Giles,p. 118). Proponents also see social change financially support students and report preparation
as the ultimate goal of service-learning, or at least to disseminate the information within the discipline
the education of students who will be agents of and beyond. Community and governmental organi-
change (Eyler & Giles,p. 131). Such an education- zations were willing to provide funding to match
al milieu empowers students, teachers, and their the University’s resource commitment.
community partners (see Miller,1997). Subsequent field schools that I have directed
In sum,service-learning students meet real com- (1996, 1998, 2000) and co-directed (2001, 2002)
munity needs, learn how formal learning connects and several other projects that I am currently pur-
with real-world experiences, often reflect on the suing involve experiential learning and have a
nature of the service and the learning, and docu- strong service-learning component. I began to
ment learning and change through evaluative think of this work as service-learning when I start-
processes (Shumer, 2003, p. 149). These criteria ed talking with service-learning practitioners who
can be used to assess the degree to which the described what their approach entailed. The
archaeology program at Western Michigan research and teaching I conduct is different from a
University fulfills the goals of service-learning and conventional field school or public archaeology
the directions that it might take to strengthen its program because it emphasizes research problems
effectiveness in providing service and learning. By that emanate from a segment of the community,
casting archaeology in this new mold,we have the and a learning experience for students who are
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committed to helping solve the problems. Students (Nassaney,1998). We also established a long-term
are prepared through an introductory archaeology relationship with the HSBC. I served on their board
course and an orientation that emphasizes the theo- of directors for five years and the Society frequent-
ries,methods,and goals of the project; our relation- ly calls on University personnel for historical
ship with the community sponsor or partner; and research assistance. The Society even established a
discussions of critical theory and the historical con- student fellowship program to support research on
tingency of archaeological interpretations. As stu- specific topics of local interest for publication in
dents gain more experience,they are able to assume their award-winning magazine, Heritage Battle
greater responsibility in the project. Although I Creek (e.g.,Sayers,1999).
design the research strategy in consultation with the As our work was being conducted, efforts were
sponsor,students are required to select some aspect underway by Historic Adventist Village, Inc. to
of the research project to work on independently. acquire properties in the neighborhood surrounding
They are encouraged to conduct archival research, the home of James and Ellen G. White,just across
interview knowledgeable consultants, and examine town from the Shepard site. The Whites moved to
museum specimens as appropriate for their research. Battle Creek in the 1850s and occupied the site for
This allows them to become a “resident expert” in less than a decade. The house is an important pil-
their selected topic and reinforces the idea that grimage site for Seventh Day Adventists because
knowledge lies in more sources than the professor. Ellen White experienced many divinely-inspired
Next,I discuss and begin to evaluate a few of these visions while living there that were fundamental to
projects,suggesting ways to improve these projects’ the foundation of their religious beliefs. The
effects on students, faculty, our “student-centered Adventists were restoring the home to its 1850s
research university,”and communities. appearance and were interested in relocating land-
scape features and artifacts that the Whites used in
Four Case Studies: Practicing daily life when they occupied the site. For many
Archaeology in the Community students in the field school, this was their first
exposure to the tenets of Seventh Day Adventism.
In 1995, the Historical Society of Battle Creek
They learned about the direct connections between
(HSBC),a nonprofit organization dedicated to pre-
Ellen White,dietary reform,John Harvey Kellogg,
serving and interpreting local history,contacted me
and the rise of the cereal industry that still domi-
to inquire if I was interested in conducting archae-
nates Battle Creek’s economy (and historic con-
ological investigations at the house site of the city’s
sciousness). Even while under renovation, the site
first school teacher, Warren B. Shepard. The
was a popular tourist destination for believers,and
Society,which saw itself as marginalized in a com- students met visitors from all over the world who
munity that lived in the shadow of the history of the came to see the Whites’ house. Students were
cereal industry, wanted to sponsor a dig to bring struck that a site that seemed to have only local
this locally important place to the public’s atten- implications with its broken pottery sherds and
tion. Our work would also heighten the society’s rusty nails actually had global significance for peo-
visibility in the broader community, and demon- ple from the Caribbean, Germany, and southeast
strate that there was more to Battle Creek history Asia. As it turned out,the Adventists were particu-
than just C. W. Post and the Kellogg brothers. The larly interested in relocating the well that provided
Society’s archivist assisted two of my students in the Whites with their drinking water. When we
collecting documentary information on the site and were unable to find this water source,they unfortu-
its occupants (Sayers & Lapham,1996). This back- nately became somewhat disillusioned with the
ground research was conducted prior to a 10-week archaeology, even though our results support con-
field season in 1996 at the site,supported in part by temporary interpretations of Ellen White’s daily
a generous grant from a local foundation. During life and her prohibitions on consuming meat and
the excavations,we held an open house that attract- tobacco (Nassaney, 1999; Nassaney, Rotman,
ed nearly 200 local people, including neighbors Sayers,& Nickolai,2001).
and formers residents of the house. We made mean- Another community group that we have part-
ingful connections with several of these individuals nered with is Support the Fort, Inc. (STF).
and gained valuable information about past land- Established in 1992, STF is a nonprofit organiza-
use practices and changing attitudes toward the res- tion dedicated to identifying and preserving the
idents (Nassaney & Nickolai, 1999). Our final remains of Fort St. Joseph, an 18th century mis-
results consisted of an edited report on this sion-garrison-trading post on the banks of the St.
National Register-eligible property authored by Joseph River in Niles,Michigan. This organization
many of the students involved in the project consists predominantly of a group of historical re-
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Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice
enactors who sponsor an annual rendezvous,autho- helped to design exhibits for local museums. In addi-
rized by the city of Niles, held in a local public tion, two students are working with the Director of
park. The event is an opportunity for the public to the Fort St. Joseph Museum and Niles area educators
view historical reenactments, and for participants to develop a curriculum guide to accompany the
from throughout the region to meet and share their video and artifact replicas for use in middle school
historical knowledge about Colonial life. STF is classes. We are also working to bring more local ele-
also committed to supporting reconstruction of the mentary and secondary school students into the field.
fort in Niles. The accomplishments and long-term partnership
In planning for this reconstruction, a consultant forged between the city of Niles,the Fort St. Joseph
advised STF to base the design on actual physical Museum, STF, and WMU were recognized in 2003
remains of the fort as revealed by archaeology. The as the first archaeology project to receive the
STF leadership contacted me in 1997 to help them Governor’s Historic Preservation Award.
relocate and excavate the site. Archaeological Various state agencies in Michigan are also inter-
information on the fort’s location,size,and config- ested in working with communities and students to
uration, along with other architectural details, is preserve the state’s archaeological heritage. In
essential for creating an accurate reconstruction 2001, I was invited by the Office of the State
because neither detailed maps nor adequate Archaeologist to assist the Michigan Freedom
descriptions of the fort are known to exist. Trails Program in identifying material evidence of
In 1998, we conducted a survey, funded by the 19th century Underground Railroad activities near
Michigan Humanities Council, to find the fort. the small town of Vandalia, Michigan. This pro-
Participants included WMU students and STF vol- gram was working to meet National Park Service
unteers. We recovered various 18th century arti- standards in designating and interpreting places
facts and animal bones from an area that seemed to that were associated with people who escaped
coincide with the limited documentation on the bondage in the American South. We were asked to
site. We returned to the site with the 2002 field focus on an area of southwest Michigan where doc-
school and funding from STF to further investigate umentary sources and oral accounts suggested
the site. We found definitive evidence of 18th cen- there had been a sizable community of African-
tury buildings and undisturbed artifact deposits Americans once known as Ramptown. The state
confirming the location of the fort and the integrity provided support for background research,prelim-
of its remains (Nassaney & Cremin,2002). inary fieldwork,and report preparation; archaeolo-
The community response to these findings has gists under my guidance provided labor. We soon
been overwhelming. The interest that elementary learned that although Ramptown had been aban-
and secondary students have shown inspired us to doned in the late 19th century for unknown rea-
offer a week-long high school field school during sons, the area was resettled predominantly by
the 2002 field season. Providing University students African-Americans in the 20th century. Moreover,
the opportunity to work closely with high school stu- many of these contemporary African-American
dents in conjunction with their own training blurs residents,as well as their White neighbors,had an
the lines between learning and teaching in a positive avid interest in demonstrating that their predeces-
way. Everyone came away with a better sense of sors struggled for freedom and social justice.
how history is derived from material evidence and We consulted historical documents, read tran-
how all of us can learn from each other. scriptions of numerous interviews, met with
Presentations of our results at STF’s annual meet- landowners, and examined a small collection of
ings have drawn large crowds,as have the invitations artifacts before designing and implementing the
we extended to the community to visit our excava- fieldwork. Students in the 2002 field school con-
tions in Niles. A WMU student remarked that he was ducted the walkover survey that led to the discov-
able to experience and observe firsthand the level of ery of 12 sites,several of which appear to be asso-
public interest in the work we were conducting. ciated with the houses of formerly-enslaved indi-
Students have access to all of the artifacts and are viduals. (We interpret these sites as the remains of
conducting research to answer questions about life mid-to-late 19th century domestic households
at the fort to assist in the historical details that based on the objects we collected. Their absence on
interest the re-enactors. Public dissemination of the the 1860 and 1872 plat maps suggests that they are
information recovered from the site is critical to the most likely the homes of African-American ten-
project’s success, and students are involved in this ants.) The results were extremely gratifying for
aspect as well. Toward this end, we produced a many local citizens who had always believed that
documentary video of our discoveries available to their African-American predecessors had sought
the public (www.wmubookstore.com/fsj.asp), and freedom in Cass County, but were unable to
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Nassaney
demonstrate their presence conclusively. It became dictable or orderly as the classroom or laboratory.
clear to our students that the square nails,fragmen- Student learning also took other forms that may
tary plates,and broken glass had deep significance not have occurred in the classroom. Field settings
to many members of the community; this was more involve more cooperative learning. Students are
than just 19th century trash. Moreover,the students often paired up for the day and expected to interact
felt they had solved a real archaeological mystery in the exchange of information as they make obser-
given the paucity of evidence,documentary or oth- vations,keep records,and reflect on their findings.
erwise,typically associated with clandestine activ- Efforts to standardize this learning and facilitate
ities such as the Underground Railroad. reflection is incorporated into daily practice as we
These examples show how archaeology at WMU schedule regular visits to each other’s excavations
has been structured to enhance the learning oppor- and have students explain their findings to others in
tunities for students by partnering with communi- the group. This also allows them to make compar-
ties and providing a public service. Yet, to what isons across the site,providing them with the “big
extent do our activities fulfill the spirit of commu- picture.” Students learn to work with others; this
nity service learning? often leads to a healthy division of labor whereby
students can perform the tasks with which they are
From Experiential, Engaged Archaeology
most comfortable, but only after they have been
to Service-Learning
exposed to the full range of activities. For instance,
when a pair of students draw a plan view or profile
To address some of the concerns raised earlier in
of their excavations, one typically provides the
this paper, it is useful to evaluate the pedagogical
measurements while the other does the actual
approach we employed in our experiential archae-
drawing. Both participate in the activity but each
ology in accordance with service-learning bench-
“learns” it in a slightly different way, often rein-
marks. It is also beneficial to examine how practice
forcing previously acquired skill patterns.
has affected students, faculty, the University, and
Differences in abilities and learning styles also
communities.
lead to an appreciation of diversity. While most stu-
The projects examined in this study were con-
dents who take the field school are a fairly homo-
ducted to meet real community needs. The needs
geneous age group,the projects we have conducted
range from raising awareness of heritage in the
bring students into contact with older populations,
community to developing a heritage tourist desti-
as well as people of different racial, ethnic, and
nation and establishing a sense of place, identity,
religious backgrounds. Of course, mere exposure
and belonging. Positive outcomes serve to increase
may only reinforce stereotypes. For instance, sev-
the quality of life in a democratic,progressive soci-
eral students commented on the plight of the elder-
ety, which is consistent with the goals of higher
ly in the Vandalia community center, where bath-
education.
room facilities were made available to us during
Students experienced how formal learning con-
the Ramptown survey. These circumstances pro-
nects with real-world situations. Archaeology is
vided an opportunity for students to confront the
more than merely an academic exercise; it has
meaning of diversity, and challenge the idea that
implications for people on a daily basis as they live
the elderly have little place in a youth-centered
and interact with surroundings created in the past.
society,or at least raise the issue of why this is the
One student reflected by writing:
case. The diversity that anthropologists regularly
More than anything,I learned that archaeology confront can be used to foster a sense of tolerance
is not some elitist discipline subject only to the by which students are able to see their common
whims of academic professionals, hidden humanity with people different from themselves
away in the recesses of the college library.
(Eyler & Giles,1999). In an engaged archaeology,
Rather, it is a profession closely linked with
there are at least two opportunities for this to occur.
public support,and local residents are curious
Students may see others in the community as vast-
about its discoveries.
ly different from themselves,yet they share a com-
Students working in the field also come to appreci- mon interest in the past. People of different ages,
ate the difference between “logic and logistics,”as one racial backgrounds, and religious beliefs were as
of my mentors, Bob Paynter, would often say. For excited as we were about our discoveries. Students
example,while it may have been logical to survey sys- may also see the people in history as similar to
tematically the agricultural fields in Cass County, themselves; for instance,it would not be unreason-
farmers’ planting schedules required that we move able for students to identify with people of a differ-
around the county and work more opportunistically. ent time,place,and race who risked their lives for
Students understood that the real world is not as pre- liberty. This would also provide an opportunity to
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Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice
discuss how liberties in our contemporary world results. I’ve been there and I’ve done that!”
are constantly being redefined. Likewise, students While this is admittedly true of experiential learn-
may see parallels between fur traders on the fron- ing in general,students involved in service-learning
tier and their own efforts to establish a household often have a different stake in the outcome. They
in a new location away from family and friends. know there are no right answers and alternative
Although I only heard snippets of such conversa- interpretations have real implications for different
tions,they indicate profitable directions for discus- publics. In a review of this article,Art Keene (per-
sion and reflection that I aim to encourage and sonal communication,May 15,2004) remarked that
facilitate more explicitly in the future. this recognition brings with it a responsibility that is
These learning opportunities are significantly dif- not always easy to shoulder. Furthermore,once they
ferent from those in the classroom. It is difficult for recognize that there are indeed multiple publics with
students to dismiss history as a curiosity or diversion conflicting visions, the issue of defining what ser-
when they are doing engaged work at a place such as vice is becomes much murkier. In Keene’s experi-
Ramptown (Art Keene, personal communication, ence with service-learning and cultural anthropolo-
May 15,2004). Students are actively involved with gy, his students often discover that the interests of
people genuinely concerned with the story and how the community-based organizations which they
it gets told,and so they are much more likely to see serve are not always congruent with the interests of
how history is connected to social relations,and how the clients that the organizations serve. It leads stu-
relationships are created and reproduced. As interest dents to interrogate their own roles in an ongoing
in the project increases with larger numbers of social dynamic and challenges them to problematize
potentially competing groups, the process becomes social change in more complex and meaningful
more complex. Students may come to take sides and ways. Who is the community anyway? What are the
begin to identify with particular constituencies, interests of different folk,where do they converge or
which leads them to think about ways to promote diverge, and why? How does this make me rethink
certain political agendas and question how they how I thought the world worked?
work and why they fail. My students know we only excavated a sample
As students do archaeology in partnership with of the site,we all made different observations for a
communities,engage diverse people from the public, variety of reasons,and further analysis and excava-
and actively reflect on the process,they are likely to tion may challenge us to rethink our initial inter-
construct much more complex and nuanced histories. pretations. I encourage students to “think out loud”
They may also frame their own role in the process as we visit each other’s excavations or as they
with much more humility and responsibility. For describe and interpret the context of their findings.
example,some students wondered about the implica- They benefit by proposing multiple working
tions of the animal bones found at the home of James hypotheses and validating what they see by testing
and Ellen White, knowing that they promoted and their observations against information obtained
practiced vegetarianism. They began to ask how these from further excavation, revisiting the archives, or
data could be accommodated by the documentary talking with local consultants. Some are able “to
sources and how we would tell the Adventists if the accept uncertainty and complexity as the way of
remains were dated to the period when the Whites the world,” whereas those who think that archaeo-
occupied the site. The result is a history that is sensi- logical problems in the field have right and wrong
tive to segments of the community, and perhaps answers usually feel helpless when the right
simultaneously contested by others. answers are hard to come by (Eyler & Giles,1999,
Students gain new levels of understanding after p. 100). Those who pose the most questions are
they return from the field because they are better usually the ones who are gaining positive insights
equipped intellectually to grasp complex issues and into the process of learning (see Waldstein,2003,p.
can think critically about issues of objectivity,owner- 37). These students are also the ones who see that
ship,power,and resistance. They begin to move from the answers are shifting and contingent—they lie in
“knowing what” to “knowing how” and they gain a multiple data sources and no one has a monopoly
personal stake in the subject matter (Eyler & Giles, on the truth,not even the professor.
1999,p. 68). When I recount the results of our field Ideally students should be encouraged to reflect
studies to students in subsequent classes, those who on the nature of the service and the learning. As an
participated in the projects have a much deeper and archaeologist who practices a conservation ethic—
subtler understanding of the topic at hand. Typically, a service to future generations—it is incumbent
their eyes light up when they share their experiences; upon me to challenge students to think about why
their comments and body language implicitly say,“I sites are threatened,how they can be protected,and
know that place and what it took to obtain those whose stories get preserved in the process. For
95
Nassaney
example,we wanted public attention and interest in ogy could contribute to their reconstruction efforts.
our work at Fort St. Joseph,yet we realized that the If this type of engagement does not take place,then
site could then be subject to looting. It was a local we may be merely using the community as a labo-
collector who originally brought the location of the ratory rather than working with the community on
site to our attention,after all. Discussions of ethical a mutually beneficial project. Archaeologists could
issues about ownership of the past,access,and con- be accused of what some have called “guerilla
trol are also in the forefront of the service-learning research” and labeled “intellectual carpetbaggers”
experience. or “scientific SWAT teams.” In this approach,
The scatters of artifacts we identified as the researchers swoop into a community, find out its
remains of Ramptown had been ignored for many wants/needs, collect the data, and carry the infor-
years. Why are some sites more important than oth- mation back to the laboratory for theses and other
ers and why was Ramptown attracting attention all scholarly research aimed at tenure and promotion.
of a sudden? These questions force students to con- An area we have explored the least is how to
front how power is exercised in decisions about evaluate the learning process. There is currently a
heritage preservation. We also emphasize the dis- substantial body of literature that examines how
semination of research results to the public. service-learning should be assessed to justify it as
Normally at least one student would volunteer to a better form of pedagogy (e.g., Billig &
discuss our activities and findings with the public, Waterman, 2003; Eyler & Giles, 1999). While I
even though all of the students are expected to be have concentrated on service-learning’s benefits to
able to serve in the role of spokesperson. We also students,it is also important to examine its impact
emphasize that the work we do is conducted with on faculty, the university, and communities. For
the public’s permission and authorization, and the faculty,it takes considerable effort to negotiate and
public has the right to know what we are doing and maintain the partnerships service-learning requires.
learning. Communicating our findings with the Perhaps this is because this model requires an
public was itself a learning experience. This proved investment in the community and other new behav-
to be particularly gratifying for one student who iors that have not been part of conventional archae-
wrote: ological practice nor rewarded in tenure and pro-
motion decisions. However, it becomes easier to
Relationships with the community challenged sustain this work style over time. For example,pos-
me to think in less abstract terms about the itive representation of our work is leading to new
research. Ultimately, the experiences involved
opportunities as other groups and agencies become
withcommunicating potentially boring academ-
interested in establishing a working relationship
ic interests to non-specialists made me think
with an archaeologist. Citizens come to see a uni-
about how our work can impact the public. This
versity as more than just a large,detached bureau-
is one reward that I would not have gained in a
cratic entity; personal connections are used to form
more traditional research (classroom) situation.
alliances that can often transcend the project that
In the future, I would encourage my students to initially led to the partnership. Members of the
spend more time reflecting on the service. In most community also begin to perceive the university as
instances, we did not distinguish between our a place where there are tremendous resources that
research design for the fieldwork and the questions are potentially accessible. This often leads to
the community wanted answered; we presented employment opportunities that are mutually bene-
these as unitary concerns. One student remarked ficial, as community agencies hire students with
that as we moved toward addressing community whom they have already worked. It is most difficult
concerns and disseminating information, the com- to assess the impact of service-learning on the
munity began to appreciate academic issues; thus, University. This generally takes the form of
our work provides a potential bridge between com- stronger town-gown relationships and a sense that
munity and academic interests. More attention higher education has a place outside of the ivory
should be placed on why the community has turned tower in putting theory into practice. It might also
to archaeology and what the community expects make the University more accessible to communi-
archaeologists to deliver. For example,in hindsight ty members when viewed in this light.
I wish that I had had a more open conversation with Archaeologists have made their own arguments
the members of the Historic Adventist Village for an engaged or public archaeology, but these
about what they wanted from the archaeology. generally ignore the context of learning. Do stu-
They may have come to better appreciate the limi- dents learn archaeology better when they are
tations of archaeology and we may have obtained a engaged in service-learning? This is a legitimate
better understanding of how they thought archaeol- question and one that should be addressed before
96
Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice
service-learning becomes the standard for training Sciences and the Department of Anthropology have been
archaeologists in the field. An evaluation of ser- very supportive of the archaeological field school for
vice-learning in archaeology is dependent on peda- nearly 30 years. I have been fortunate to work with so
many people inside and outside of the academy who
gogical goals. If the goal of an archaeological field
have a sincere interest in student involvement,historical
school is merely to teach students how to dig lots
preservation, and the practice of archaeology. Foremost
of excavation units efficiently, maintain straight
among these are Dean Anderson, Carol Bainbridge,
profile walls,and keep good notes,a service-learn-
Mary Butler, Randy Case, Bill Cremin, John Halsey,
ing model is unnecessary. We have the data to make
Michelle Johnson, Vin Lyon-Callo, Barb Mead, and
this judgment—years of course evaluations and Allen Zagarell. I am also grateful to those who taught me
field notes that allow us to reconstruct our sites in about public and critical archaeology,which predisposed
the laboratory. However, if we truly embrace an me to see the links between good archaeological practice
anthropological, public archaeology relevant to and service-learning, particularly Hester Davis, Dena
contemporary concerns that extend beyond the Dincauze,Art Keene,Mark Leone,Bob McGimsey,Bob
Paynter, Martha Rolingson, and Martin Wobst. Several
academy,we will need to collect different types of
readers took the time to review an earlier version of this
data to evaluate the benefits of service-learning
manuscript, including Bill Cremin, Marva Godin, Lisa
methods as they are applied in archaeology. These
Marie Malischke,Fred Smith,Laurie Spielvogel,Robert
data will take the form of student reflections on
Ulin, and three anonymous reviewers. Their comments
their experiences, their praxis within and beyond improved the end result in form and content, though I
the university, and community reactions to the remain responsible for the final product. I thank the edi-
archaeological enterprise. If archaeology aims to tors, Jeff Howard, Sumi Colligan, and Art Keene, for
be more than an esoteric pursuit, it would be well inviting me to contribute to this special issue on Service-
served to adopt an explicit service-learning model Learning and Anthropology. I especially appreciate Art
whenever students are involved. Keene’s poignant insights on the relationship between
service-learning and anthropology that challenged me to
Suffice it to say that whether or not archaeologists
think about the short-comings and contradictions of con-
come to fully embrace service-learning in the future,
ventional archaeological practice and some of the poten-
an archaeology sensitive to the needs of the public
tial benefits of service-learning for archaeology. Finally,
and descendant communities will be preferable to an
none of this work would have been possible without the
archaeology that is not. An archaeology that places assistance and willingness of our many diligent students
students in real-world settings, charges them with and the citizens who welcomed us into their fields,back-
making decisions under proper supervision, and yards,homes,offices,and archives.
delivers practical results will be more effective than
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