The Appalachian State Landscape Archaeology Lab (LAL) is dedicated to the study of the dynamic relationships between people and places in the past. Located in Anne Belk Hall 322, the LAL offers students and faculty a diverse suite of resources for addressing landscape-scale questions, including traditional and geophysical field survey equipment and GIS (geographic information systems) workstations for spatial data analysis and visualization. The LAL also has equipment for tracing the provenience of archaeological ceramics to map past interactions between people and their landscapes. The lab curates an extensive collection of regional maps and ceramic type collections from both the Southern Appalachians and the Upper Senegal-Gambia region of West Africa.
Courses taught in the LAL include Archaeological Theory, Ceramics for the Archaeologist, Archaeology of the Native South, Ancient States, Cultural Artifacts, and Landscape Archaeology. Student volunteers to assist with the research projects currently supported in the lab; including
Bandafassi Regional Archaeology Project (Kedougou, Senegal)
New River Headwaters Archaeological Project (North Carolina, USA)
Linville Gorge Archaeological Project (North Carolina, USA; partnership with the National Forests of North Carolina)
Junaluska Community Archaeology Project (North Carolina, USA; partnership with the Junaluska Heritage Association)
If you are interested in these projects or courses, or if you have general questions about the Landscape Archaeology Lab, please contact Dr. Wright (wrightap2@appstate.edu) or Dr. Gokee (gokeecd@appstate.edu).