ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA) is opening a new center that is designed to support community engagement in archaeological and heritage research.
The new Center for Community Archaeology and Heritage (CCAH) is located on the university’s Ann Arbor campus and is set to officially open on Friday, March 14, according to a release from UMMAA.
“We are incredibly excited to launch this Center, which will more widely share the knowledge and benefits from archaeological work and research on heritage,” said Dr. Geoff Emberling, the inaugural Director of the CCAH and Research Scientist in the Kelsey Museum. “Working collaboratively improves the results of archaeological research and the sustainability of heritage protection; it is also essential to the continued viability of archaeology at a time when many humanities disciplines are struggling to make the case for their continued relevance.”
It will offer a variety of services, including the following:
- Support for faculty and students working on collaborative archaeological and heritage projects at the University of Michigan.
- Provision of freely accessible resources related to community-collaborative practices in archaeology and heritage projects.
- Funding for students to do community-based fieldwork and for fieldwork collaborators to come to campus for meetings, discussions, and guest lectures.
- Events such as conferences every two years, with associated publications.
In the future, the UMMAA said they hope to offer fellowships to graduate students, postdoctoral students and faculty to support research projects and support training programs for local communities.
The center will host interactive activities, talks and visioning sessions on Saturday, March 15. Registration for the events is required for in-person and virtual attendees. You can register for the events here.
For more information or to get involved, you can contact Geoff Emberling at community-heritage@umich.edu.
