This announcement may be of interest to listmembers looking for an historic
site experience. Following the field school, MTU will also be digging at a
mid-19th century copper mining site, and there will be employment for some
of the students who complete the field school.
1996 Field School in Industrial Archaeology
Michigan Technological University
The 1996 course in Field Archaeology at Michigan Tech will be offered from
June 4 through July 11. It will provide a full range of training in
methods and techniques, including survey, excavation, photography, mapping
and data recordation. Students will participate in a new research project
at the site known as the Carp River Forge near the town of Negaunee,
Michigan.
The Marquette Iron Range was first recognized in 1844 when government
surveyors realized that their magnetic instruments were not working and
William Burt's crew collected several iron-rich specimens from the Teal
Lake area. In 1845, mineral speculators heading for the copper district to
the west were distracted by their guide and ultimately opened one of the
richest iron ore ranges in the world. This first mining company, the
Jackson Mining Company, filed for an exploration permit in 1845 and
constructed a bloomery forge that produced it's first bar iron in February,
1848. The forge site was owned and/or managed by several groups during the
next seven years, generating something under 1000 tons of finished bar
iron. By that time, the region's mines had shifted to a system of shipping
ore to distant smelters and the Carp River Forge shut down.
The forge site is now a key part of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum. As
such, it has been the focus of documentary research and a preliminary
archaeological study in the early 1970's. Even so, the site's potential
for technological information and public interpretation has barely been
tapped. The 1996 Field School will expand the knowledge base through site
survey and excavation of selected features.
The instructors for the course are Dr. Patrick E. Martin and Dr. David B.
Landon. The course is available for either undergraduate or graduate
credit (SS 379 and 579, respectively) and can be taken for variable credit
ranging from 3 to 9 quarter credits. Guest student status is available for
any student in good standing at their home unviversity, and tuition is
$92/credit for Michigan residents, $213/credit for non-residents. Housing
will be subsidized, though final arrangements have not been made.
For additional information contact:
Patrick E. Martin
Department of Social Sciences
Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
Telephone (906) 487-2070, Fax (906) 487-2468, Internet [log in to unmask]
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Patrick E. Martin, Associate Professor of Archaeology
Director of Graduate Studies in Industrial Archaeology
Editor of IA, Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology
Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295 USA
Telephone (906) 487-2070 Fax (906) 487-2468 Internet [log in to unmask]
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