NMU Archaeology

NMU Anthro Alum - Dr. Ryan Peterson! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1669554351844122&id=100063687181214

Two Student groups from AN 390 Museum Studies installed their exhibits. You can see them at UP Land Conservancy and at the NMU Library outside of Archives. All content, artifacts, & labels are researched, gathered, & written by anthro students, a process they learned during the semester. They worked hand in hand with these organizations to find a home, display, and to share with the public. Quite the accomplishment!

Congratulations NMU Anthro/Soc grads; Grace and Abigail (who has been a remarkable president for Q&A).The professors of the Sociology & Anthropology dept were so proud to attend your Lavender Graduation!
“Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted to honor le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, intersex, q***r, asexual/aromantic, two-spirit, and ally students to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University.
Lavender has long represented resilience and empowerment in the q***r community. The color honors those in the q***r community who came before and fought for rights.”

NMU Archaeology is so proud of Anna Seebeck who receives the EEGS Outstanding Graduating Senior Award and graduates with 4.0 GPA
Congratulations to Anna Seebeck, the EEGS Department’s 2026 Outstanding Graduating Senior, who completed a B.S. in Geographic Information Science & Technology and a B.S. in Anthropology.
Anna developed her GIS and remote sensing experience in the summer of 2025 through both serving as an intern with the Midland County Road Commission and as an attendee of the 2025 NMU Archaeology Field School on Beaver Island. While an intern with the Road Commission, she spent the summer of 2025 developing GIS databases of culverts and reconstruction surveys of roads using a total station.
Anna developed her archaeological field skills on Beaver Island through the use of a ground penetrating radar and active involvement at excavation sites. She also took on a survey project on Beaver Island under the supervision of Dr. Scott Demel.
Beyond academics, Anna has served as secretary of the Women's Soccer club, and as a member of the Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society.
Anna thanks all of the EEGS faculty who have allowed and encouraged her to incorporate archaeology into coursework and projects. She will be attending graduate school in Fall 2026, where she plans to continue exploring the application of GIS and remote sensing in archaeological research.
The EEGS Department appreciates Anna's positive attitude and engagement in scholarly and service activities that supported the Northern community. Best wishes to Anna as she continues her education.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Seasonal Museum & Archives Technicians

Turn your summer into an adventure! Build real museum and archival skills by day and explore the shores of Lake Superior by night. From rocky shorelines and historic mining towns to festivals and outdoor adventures, make the Keweenaw your classroom and playground this summer! Check out these upcoming seasonal museum positions based at the NPS Lake Superior Collections Management Center in Calumet, Michigan:

What you'll do as a Museum Technician:
Work hands-on with cultural and natural history collections
Accession, catalog, rehouse, care for, and inventory museum objects

What you'll do as an Archives Technician:
Care for and organize archival collections
Work with archival documents and create or update finding aids

Either way, you'll support collections from Keweenaw National Historical Park, Isle Royale National Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Grow your career by day. Experience a Keweenaw summer on nights and weekends. Learn more on the park website: https://www.nps.gov/kewe/getinvolved/workwithus.htm

NPS photo/A. Lewellen

A video reminder of NMU archaeology field school to warm you up this chilly winter.

NMU Archaeology Field School - Beaver Island We hope you enjoy this photo compilation of Northern Michigan University's summer archaeology field schools on Beaver Island (2010, 2012, 2014). The NMU fiel...

Congratulations Anthro grads; Rachel & Krissa! Dr. Albee & Dr. Demel were proud to attend your Lavender Graduation!
“Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted to honor le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, intersex, q***r, asexual/aromantic, two-spirit, and ally students to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University.
Lavender has long represented resilience and empowerment in the q***r community. The color honors those in the q***r community who came before and fought for rights.” ♥️

R.I.P. Jane Goodall

That’s quite a bit earlier than we thought!

Recent findings from the Grotte Mandrin in the Rhône Valley of France are rewriting the timeline of human innovation in Europe. Research published in Science Advances suggests that bows and arrows were in use here as early as 54,000 years ago, pushing back the introduction of archery on the continent by tens of thousands of years.

During excavations, archaeologists uncovered a cache of small, finely worked triangular stone points, many of which bear microscopic signs of impact and breakage. These wear patterns are consistent with being hafted onto shafts and propelled at high velocity, most likely as arrowheads. The points were too small and delicate to have been effective as spear tips or thrusting weapons, strongly supporting their identification as components of projectile technology.

If correct, this evidence indicates that early Homo sapiens in Europe—who occupied Grotte Mandrin during an interlude when Neanderthals were absent—already possessed advanced ranged hunting tools. Archery would have given them a critical advantage in targeting fast-moving prey such as horses, bison, and deer, allowing them to hunt more efficiently and at safer distances.

The discovery also highlights the cultural and technological sophistication of these early modern humans. Previously, the earliest secure evidence of bows and arrows in Europe dated to around 10,000–12,000 years ago. The finds at Grotte Mandrin now suggest that this innovation was part of the Homo sapiens toolkit much earlier, and possibly a key factor in their adaptability and eventual success on the continent.