Some seem to have interpreted your question to be an inquiry into which
academic dept would provide the best training opportunity for future
historical archaeoolgists, which is infinitely debatable and largely
dependant upon the individual student (good students will take coursework
in various related and supporting disciplines). In answer to your actual
questions, though:
a. I can't think of any historical archaeologist in the past 30 years who
has had his or her primary faculty appointment in a history department. It
is not unusal for students interested in historical archaeology to receive
their advanced dergees in history if anthropology has only an undergraduate
program (that was the case at Illinois State U when I was on the faculty
there 20 years ago), but the advising professors are usually in
anthropology (archaeology if such a dept exists at the insitution) or some
mixed dept that includes anthropology (anthro/geography; sociology/anthro,
etc.). At ISU it was soc/anthro/social work. For those students getting MAs
in history with an emphasis in historical archaeology I could serve on
their thesis committees but not chair them, which wasn't too much of a
problem for anyone.
b. Since most historical archaoelogists get their primary training in
anthro departments, I tend to think that the person hired would feel more
at home in the anthropology department--especially if that is where other
archaeologists are housed at your university. Further, he or she is more
likely to make satisfactory progress in that environment. It is difficult
enough to succeed in joint departments chaired by someone in a different
field. In my own case, meeting the expectations of the dept chair--a
sociologist--was virtually impossible (hardly knew what his expectations
were half the time). Although I would have prefered dealing with a chair
who was an anthropologist, it was still probably a better situation there
than if I had been in the history dept. Ironically, I had much more
collegial relationships with those historians and cultural geographers who
had similar specialty interests than I did with the other archeologists in
my own dept, who were Southwest and Central America specialists. That will
often be the case no matter where one finds oneself, however. You will seek
out those of like interests in other depts for intellectual stimulation.
A joint appt might be a reasonable apporach, but that can pose other
administrative problems and mixed expectations.
ven
***************************************************************
Vergil E. Noble, PhD, RPA, Archeologist
Midwest Archeological Center, National Park Service
Robert V. Denney Federal Building, Room 474
100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508-3873
Phone: 402.437.5392x108 Fax: 402.437.5098
office email address: [log in to unmask]
***************************************************************
Timothy Renner
<[log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask]
TCLAIR.EDU> cc: (bcc: Vergil Noble/MWAC/NPS)
Sent by: Subject: An academic-type question
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
<[log in to unmask]
>
07/16/2007 06:10
PM AST
Please respond to
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
Dear listmembers,
I'm the chair of an interdepartmental faculty committee for archaeology
at my university, Montclair State University in northeastern New
Jersey. I'm an Old World specialist, and I could use your help. We are
planning to develop a Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies are
in the process of getting--we hope--a faculty line in U.S. historical
archaeology, with emphasis on the Northeast and the Atlantic region,
approved by our administration. For reasons that are too complicated
to go into here, the administration plans to place this position in the
History Department rather than in Anthropology or in some type of
crossover appointment.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you all may have on
(a) How often are such positions in History as opposed to Anthropology,
in your experience?
(b) Which departmental environment do you think would be better for the
person (bearing in mind, of course, that not all North American
archaeologists are cut from the same cloth)?
Thanks very much.
Tim Renner
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