Bilby Research Center

Mesoamerican Archaeology Laboratory

Director: Dr. Jaime Awe

Location: Room 133

Research in this laboratory focuses on the emergence of social, political and economic complexity among ancient Mesoamerican pre-industrial societies, and the role of the environment in these processes. We study the ancient Maya and their neighbors through site excavation, survey, artifact analysis, iconographic studies, spatial analysis, and archaeometric analyses.

The facility includes:

• wet and dry lab areas;
• computer workstations;
• archaeological materials from western Belize collected by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR);
• ceramics, lithics (chert and… Read more

Faunal Analysis Laboratory

Director: Dr. Chrissina Burke

Location: Room 163

Zooarchaeology, the analysis and interpretation of animal bones from archaeology sites, examines human animal interactions through time and space. Not only do humans use animals for subsistence means, we also view them emotionally and spiritually. This is a space for research tied to these pursuits with a focus primarily on faunal assemblages from the American Southwest.

We seek to explore questions tied to site formation processes, human environmental interactions, butchery processes, and animal… Read more

Lithic Casting, Research, and Teaching Laboratory (LCRTL)

Director: Dr. Francis E. Smiley, IV

Location: Room 166

The LCRTL hosts one of the largest collection of museum-quality polyurethane casts of diagnostic and important stone tools covering the entire human career. The cast collection makes approximately 2,000 artifact casts, all examples of human lithic technology, available hands-on to students.  In its 27^th year of operation, the LCRTL has a mission of providing research and teaching facilities and programs in all aspects of archaeological and… Read more

Ethnographic Collections

Manager: Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin

Location: Room 122

A former wet lab space has been converted for storage of ethnographic collections from around the world that have been donated to the department over the past 70 years. These are available for research and display but have not yet been adequately cataloged and stored for preservation and access.

The collection includes:

• Native North American dolls, moccasins, clothing, and baskets;
• Navajo weavings;
• tools and implements from Congo;
• Australian Aboriginal weapons; and
• tourist art from around the world.

Ceramic Analysis Laboratory

Directors: Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin, Dr. Chris Downum

Location: Rooms 160-160A

The Archaeological Ceramics Lab provides space, tools, and technology to process, sort, categorize, and analyze ancient pottery, and is equipped to salvage and research projects anywhere on the Colorado Plateau.

The facility includes:

• sinks, drying racks, and laboratory tables for processing field specimens and performing basic sorting and identification of pottery wares and types;
• optical microscopes, digital calipers, digital cameras, and digital scales to analyze pottery in terms of temper, thickness, size, painted… Read more