ANTH 3980: Excavating Hamline’s History
This post is for Hamline students interested in registering for my fall class (ANTH 3980: Excavating Hamline’s History).
This class is a unique opportunity to participate both on an archaeological excavation and in an interdisciplinary and collaborative project. It’s an interdisciplinary class because of the students. Each of you is asked to contribute to the overall project goals based on either your major studies or other areas of interest and expertise that you have. Your contribution may be in a research area – where you apply your research skills to questions about the site, or the artifacts, or the historical background. The last time I taught this course we excavated Hamline University’s original Hall of Science, a three story brick building constructed in 1887. I had a chemistry major that analyzed the chemical composition of the building’s bricks, a history major that collected oral history accounts from alumni and faculty, an economics major that analyzed 125
year-old bills and receipts from the building’s construction, and an archaeology student who analyzed the distribution of glass artifacts recovered in our excavations.
Other students contributed by presenting and interpreting our project in various media including designing a web site, filming a video, writing a play, printing posters, and putting together an exhibit. We also had an education major that brought over Hancock 6th graders so they could experience archaeology first hand. Our philosophy major examined the ethics of archaeology. And our environmental studies major looked at the intersection of environmental protection and cultural resource management laws.
The point is, you can pursue just about any idea you want. What you need is an ability to collaborate on other people’s projects and an enthusiasm for interdisciplinary archaeology. If this sounds interesting then send me a brief email outlining what ways you could contribute to this fall’s class. Also tell me a little bit about yourself (including your major and year). Finally, I would like to know why you are interested
in joining the class and what you hope to gain from your participation. Make sure you look at my other posts tagged as “Hamline History” to get a better idea of this year’s excavation plans.
If you take this class be prepared for a challenge, some fun, and a non-traditional educational experience.
Hi everyone!
I am very interested in taking this course next fall, so I want to introduce myself. Hopefully we can get to know each other before the class starts, then we can just hit the groun running!
I am currently a second year Hamline student and my declared majors are English and Social Justice, with a concentration in Black American Studies. Outside of the classroom, I am heavily involved with the theatre department, our orientation program, and WTF?! (Where’s the Fun)-a group out of the Student Activities Office that does late-night programming for students on campus.
I am very interested in this course for a number of reasons. For years and years I was passionate about making archaeology my vocational path. Although that interest has waned a bit, I am still very interested in taking a course that involves a hands-on approach to archaeology. On a personal level, I am interested in the Hamline church because my great-grandparents attended Hamline around the time of the fire, and my great-grandfather served as a minister in the current Hamline UMC in the 60s (I believe, or maybe it was the 70s?). Anyway, I am a fourth generation Hamline student, and Hamline history is important to me.
I am very much interested in taking the Excavating Hamline class. In December, 2006, I completed my 2 year degree in Photography. I am also interested in learning more about and doing oral history.
I have always been interested in Archaeology, reading books and magazines. Now that my children are grown, I have time to return to something I have always loved.
I am working on a degree in Anthropology at Hamline.
I am willing to do whatever needs to be done to help with the project. I have made contact with Phil Reinhart but he is starting a new project and is quite busy. I am not planning to take any classes this summer, so will have some time to do some up front work.
Melanie A. Freimuth
Hey all. Continuing introductions, I’m a junior at Augsburg majoring in Anthropology at Hamline and History at Augsburg. This class sounds wicked exciting. I spent the spring of 2006 in the Virgin Islands working for the U.S. Government in the Cultural Resource Management Department. There I gathered a little excavation experience, and worked with public archaeology. I look forward to this opportunity to continue to pursue this path of discovery and sharing knowledge with the community. Hope to work with you all in the fall.
Andrew Connor
Hey guy and gals, to make the next introduction I will be a junior next fall here at Hamline. I am a Political Science major and a conflict studies minor, but I have an interest in many different subjects. I am a landscaper, a student, a member of Hamline United Methodist Church and a fellow of many different interests and skills.
I am also a fourth generation member at HUMC- my great grandparents, grandparents, parents and myself. Three generations are still around today.
I think it would be very exciting to explore and uncover the past and history of 80 some years ago. To possibly uncover these treasures would not only be exciting, but we would be recovering a piece of every Hamline student’s and the surrounding community’s heritage that may not be known and not even thought about today.
I look forward to working and collaborating with you all in the Excavating Hamline’s History class, and discovering something from the past!
Hey peeps!! I am excited for this course in the fall. I think it’ll be a super fun project for all of us to do. I am going to be a junior next year and i am a double major in criminal justice and anthropology and also doing my forensic science certificate as well. For this excavation I will be focusing more on the fire and the building. How it fell apart in the fire and what kind of evidence it left behind. So kind of investingating the site!! I am looking forward to this and can’t wait to work with all of you guys!!
Hello everyone!
I am currently an English major and going for my certificate in International Journalism at Hamline.
I want to make documentary films someday and this topic is really interesting to me. I’ve done some work in the community through The Oracle in the past, and it’s always exciting and different to work with those who live in the area. It really changes your perspective.
I want to do film, but I am also open to many different possibilities. I am currently taking an oral history class, so that would be interesting to help Melanie with.
I hope we can all work together. It should be an adventure, to say the least.
Mel
I would really like to take the course. I feel that it would be a good asset to have, considering I am a Forensic Science student. I am mainly studying physical Anthropology, but I have an interest in Archaeology, and the two feilds tend to go hand in hand.
I know I would bring an imaginative mind to the class. Most of my background is in Anthropology, however I have been taking Chemistry and Biology classes for forensics. I have also taken a Crime Scene course, and am familiar with the concept of documenting where things come from in a scene or site.
Next fall I am hoping to be interning at the Dakota county medical examiners office in Hastings, and for my intership project I am planning to study the rate of decomposition of fabric textiles. Maybe there will be some over lap in the excavation process and my future and current study experiences.
Lindsey Helms
Hey everyone!
I will be a junior next fall at Hamline and am about to declare an Anthropology major. This course has intrigued me since the second Prof. Hoffman told me about it, particularly because of my interest in Archaeology. I am very keen to be a part of such a unique opportunity.
I have been an amateur photographer for several years and would be very eager to document this important project with these skills. Also, I plan on declaring a Legal Studies minor later next year. With this knowledge, I would be interested in looking at the legality concerning how well the church was built, if it was up to code, and similar issues. History and Archaeology have fascinated me since I was very young, and I am sure this will be a great adventure for anyone involved!
Steph
Hello!
My name is Robyn and I’m going to be a junior next year at Hamline. I’m currently declared as a double major in psychology and sociology, and am extremely interested in this class! I have been volunteering and working with children for as long as I can remember, and would love the opportunity to work and create projects involving the site to show to Hancock students.
I am also involved with the orientation program at Hamline as an orientation leader, I am the co-editor of the events section of the liner, and work as the assistant to the Sociology department.
I am very excited for this class – it sounds amazing!
Looks like I’m next…
I’m going to be a junior next year at Hamline and am pursuing a certificate in International Journalism, along with a major in Communication with an emphasis in journalism. I’m a news editor at the Oracle, and I will be studying abroad next year in Bangladesh.
I would be thrilled to join this class. It caught my eye, because when I was very young I wanted to grow up to be a paleoanthropologist (even though I didn’t know the word for it at the time!). I moved on to other things after a while, attending an arts high school for literary arts and focusing on a career in the field of writing, but never lost my interest in archaeology. I also have a big nerdish love for all things related to history, and would really like to work on a project to preserve it through all of the different means discussed above. My senior project in high school was to create a history book in the form of poetry, and I’ve been eager to engage in other interdisciplinary projects ever since.
I myself would be very interested in creating a documentary theatre piece for this course in the words of the people working on this project. I could also try my hand at helping Melanie, since I am currently in an oral history course, or compile any old newspaper articles and photos that relate to our project.
I hope to meet all of you in person soon!
Hi everyone!
I’m currently a first year at Hamline. I’m planning on either majoring or minoring in anthropology, and I’m also considering a major in environmental studies.
I’ve been interested in archaeology for a number of years now. I’m currently in Minnesota Archaeology and have started volunteering in the archaeology lab. I’d really like to get involved in another hands-on aspect of archaeology. I’m willing to do anything that needs to be done for the project.
I also work at Hancock Elementary and would be interested in helping the students get involved with the project.
I hope to have the opportunity to work with all of you next year!
I’m a returning transfer student and soon-to-be senior History major. I’d really enjoy being part of the process of excavating and examining the old United Methodist Church, partially for the building’s history and demise and partially out of a general sense of awe about the archaeological process.
I’d like the opportunity to aid in discovering and explaining the role of the old Church and its importance in the campus and general community life. As fascinating as the fire was that destroyed the Church, there’s a richer history that preceeded it that I hope we can unearth. And with 2 1/2 years of video/film school training, I’d love to work with Mel on maybe documenting the project as well.
I’m itching to get my hands dirty, in one form or another, this fall!
Hi everyone,
I am also a returning student.I have quite a varied background of experience. I went to undergrad at St. Kate’s, awhile back and declared Archeology as my major. At the time they didn’t have this major course of study through St. Kate’s and noone told me about the Hamline Program so I changed majors and double majored in Psychology and Business Admin. I also have a Masters in Nutrition Science. I finally am getting back to my first love and have found that with all of the anatomy and physiology I had to take for Nutrition my area of passion has developed more into the Physical Anthropology discipline.
Last summer I was part of a team that worked at Wakhon, MN. To make a long story short – a mound of dirt had been moved by the owner of a resort there and when the mound was leveled parts of a skull, a vertebra, and a rib were found lying on the surface. Barb O’Connel had asked several of us if we wanted to help sift through the removed dirt to recover any other remains and associated artifacts. We recovered remains from 13 individuals and several artifacts. Hopefully I will be getting a chance to work with Barb the early part of this summer to analyize the remains before they are repatriated.
Anyway, I would love the opportunity to get more field work and I think it is a terrific idea for students from several disciplines to work together on the project. The best way to learn is hands on and to learn from each other. This project sounds fascinating and I would love to contribute by analyzing artifacts and remains (human or non-human) that may be found. I hope to get the opportunity to make a contribution to this important piece of Hamline’s past.
Suzanne
Hey fellas,
I’m a Hamline grad who took the original class, and I just want to warn everyone that if you are majoring in any of the “softer” humanities (like English) pr. Hoffman will verbally assault you almost – but not quite – every day of the semester. I was an English/anthro major, and Dr. Hoffman made me sign a form he typed up himself saying that my English major was just to impress my parents and I would never use it.
Just kidding, of course. The class gets my highest recommendation, and Brian almost never verbally abused me. He did make me stand in the hole for our group photo, however, so the other students got the best light, and I ended up looking about 100 years old. That sort of thing is pretty important to me.
Get on the good side of Brian Hoffman, phd, in this class, and if you ever go to Alaska with him, you might not get put on bear fighting duty!
Thinking fondly of ANTH 3980,
John Gordon
Hey Students,
Don’t pay any attention to my former student, “John Gordon”. He is a known trouble-maker and malcontent. Read my post about the canned fruit incident if you want to see just how difficult he could be. Disregard what John says about needing to get on my “good side”. I like all my students. It is untrue that gifts of cookies or other delicious bakery goods can have a significant affect on your final grade.
–Brian
Wow. Reading everyone else’s reasons for wanting to take this class was very interesting. I am glad to see at lease one other person on the list who is involved in theatre. I am a junior theatre major, focusing on costume design. I would like to take this class for several reasons. First, I am interested in a class that takes learning out of the classroom. I want to be outside doing things and experiencing things hands-on, instead of only reading out of a book. Another reason I am interested in the class is that I am fascinated with “Then and Now” photo essays. I love seeing what a place used to look like, and what it is like now. Before deciding on Hamline, I was actually aiming to study restorational architecture. I love old buildings, and seeing how they have changed. The saddest part is when the building have been torn down.
Reading the rest of the information on the blog, I was surprised to learn that Hamline was at one time its own village. I had no idea that anything like that existed. I am really interested in learning more about the Hamline Village, and perhaps doing a “Then and Now” presentation.
Finally, as a costume designer, I am interested in fashion history. What people were wearing in different eras is something I enjoy researching. So there are many different topics I could explore in this class, and I am looking forward to doing so.
Hamline still is a village. At least that’s what Mayor Brian Hoffman, M.D., would have you believe.
You know, Brian, I’ve been called a trouble-maker before, and a malcontent, and some combination of the two (a “mal-maker”), but never have I been called both in the same sentance. Still, I suppose this fits into your teaching style (students – he calls it “the school of hard knocks” and, yes, there is hitting involved).
Are you making these students comment here? You are, aren’t you. I’ve never seen so many enthusiastic twenty-year-olds outside of a keg party in my life. It only makes sense if they’re being graded. I can help you determine who’s getting A’s, if you want. Posts 8-12 are clearly all insincere, for instance. “C” comments, at best. Straight shooters like me can smell that nonsense out in a second. I recommend a “pass/fail” system, with a strong emphasis on “fail.”
John-I do believe you are still upset about your “fail”, there is way too much bitterness in your message. Perhaps some oranges will make you better?
I have never failed at anything in my life! Orphans and starving people try to model their lives after mine, but they can’t because I’m too good at stuff.
Oranges? I can have oranges whenever I want, I just don’t have them because I don’t want them. Put that in your field journal.
Hello everyone!
I’m not taking this class, although it sounds like it will be spectacular! I live in the community, just down the block from the site and I am planning on volunteering my time — despite the infighting. At least I won’t have to worry about failing.
I am leaving in a couple of days to go on an archaeological dig in Israel. while in Israel we will be exivating an old Roman temple in Omrit. we will be working on the temple itself for 5 weeks from 4:30 AM to 12 noon. During the afternoon and nights we will be staying at the Kibbutz where we will have some lectures and discussions of the historical and political life. I hope this experience will be worth while and if anyone has any questions about anything else feel free to ask.
Hi everyone, I am very interested in taking the excavation course this fall and look forward to meeting you all! I am a senior double major in anthropology and environmental studies.
I am leaving to work on an excavation in Belize in a week and will spend 4 weeks excavating a classic era Mayan city, and one week sight seeing in Guatamala.
I am working to further my archaeological skills and get as much experience as possible. Hopefully I will learn some spiffy new tricks that I can put to use on the Hamline excavation this fall. I will be doing side research in Belize on environmental aspects of the dig, (either soil samples, hydrological features, or botanical analysis) so I may look to further those skills as well.
See you this fall!
Alisha
Hello Everyone,
My Name is Luis Patino and this year will be my senior year at Hamline University. I am a legal studies major with a minor in Spanish and a paralegal certificate. I am thrilled with the possibility of participating in such an experience with such historical relevance.
The fact is that I am a true believe that to know where one is going one must first understand what came before you. The past is a very difficult thing to predict as I’ve heard. I would like to contribute my dedication and ethic of hard work. Also my understanding of legal
history in this state will allow me to research and correlate the legal decisions of our past with our findings; this research will give us a grasp of the search for justice and it’s rational at the time.
I am very excited to be part of this experience.
Hello Everyone!
Sorry this is a little late; the end of summer gets so busy! I’m really excited for this class. I am a junior art history/studio arts major at Hamline. I’m originally from Superior, WI and grew up along the North and South shores of Lake Superior, so have always loved the culture of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
I look forward to meeting everyone and good luck with the start of classes!
-Rayna
Hello everyone,
This is a little late for me too. Anyhow, my name is Amanda Lockwood and this fall I will be a second year here at Hamline. I am majoring in Anthropology and History, both undeclared at the moment. As far as Anthropology goes I have an interest in Archaeology since my tenth grade year in High School when I went to Mexico with my Spanish class. I fell in love with the Mayan and Aztec ruins. All I could think about was all that was out there and how much there was to learn. Since then it has been my dream to be an archaeologist and learn about the past, that I loved so much in a hands on way.
This class is particularly important for me to take as I need some kind of lab/field experience in order to continue my Archaeology path. Also, I can’t even tell you how interesting it is to be able to excavate something so near and close to home. I have been excited about this since I heard about it and hope to be a part of something memorable in Hamline History.
Hi,
I just added this class on the first day which is why I did not post before.
I’m a senior communication studies major and art history minor and am taking this class to get one of my “N” credits in the Hamline plan.
I didn’t really realize what all the class entailed until I got there the first day, but now I am actually pretty excited for this “science” class.
I think we will all learn a lot.
See you in class!
Brenna
I just realized I should probably add more to my post.
One of the things I am most interested in learning from this class is a little more about Hamline’s history, and the history of the area. I have always been proud that we were the first University in Minnesota but I do not know much more.
Digging into the remains of a building that was around 80 years ago is such a literal way to dive into the past. I hope that my background in communication studies can help us look at some of the things we find in a way that might be interesting and thought-provoking for others. Just as I hope to learn to analyze data through an anthropological and archeological perspective as well as other perspectives!