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 27th year of operation, the LCRTL has a mission of providing research and teaching facilities and programs in all aspects of archaeological and anthropological lithic studies for undergraduate and graduate students.
Lithic artifact casting is a continuing project in the LRCTL and Dr. Smiley is a recognized innovator and teacher in the lithic casting process. The LCRTL facility provides:
- Leica Microscopy equipment;
- digital micro- and macro-photographic work;
- three dual-screen Windows 10 computers;
- lithic comparative collections from northern Arizona, southeastern Utah, and New Mexico;
- a research library containing virtually all of the monographs and journals in lithic research; and
- instructional flintknapping tools and lithic raw materials for teaching stone toolmaking.