Dixon Archaeology Laboratory

The archaeological laboratory located in the Social Sciences building (room 244) serves as a working classroom and hands-on workspace where students clean, process, and analyze archaeological collections. Many graduate students working with Dr. Kelly J. Dixon have workstations in SS 244, which retains much of the historical character of the historic Social Science Building which served as UM's library during the early-mid-20th century. Students who use in this lab represent a community of researchers, intersecting graduate student investigations with undergraduate student experiences.

Lab Work

Graduate and undergraduate students work collaboratively in the SS 244 lab and working classroom. Here they are learning fundamentals of faunal analysis, using animal bones recovered from a field school at Historic Fort Missoula in ANTY 455, Artifact Analysis.

Graduate and undergraduate students associated with the SS 244 lab learn to conduct non-invasive surface survey during a hands-on, field survey course with Professor Kelly Dixon (Photo by Kelli Casias).

Graduate and undergraduate students associated with the SS 244 lab learn to conduct non-invasive surface survey during a hands-on, field survey course with Professor Kelly Dixon (Photo by Kelli Casias).

UM archaeology students documenting one of western Montana’s numerous mining “ghost towns.”

UM archaeology students document one of western Montana’s numerous mining “ghost towns.”


Glacier National ParkUM graduate students, working in partnership with the Glacier National Park cultural heritage team, conduct a non-invasive surface survey of a historic railroad grade in Glacier National Park.

Past Graduate Student Theses/Dissertations

digging

UM archaeological field school students excavate the historic dump at Fort Missoula, expecting to learn more about the lives of the 25th Infantry Regiment (“Buffalo Soldiers”) who were stationed at Fort Missoula between 1888 and 1898.

exploring ruins

A mix of UM undergraduate and graduate students investigate one among many untold stories related to Missoula's Historic Underground on a field trip in ANTY 456 Historical Archaeology.

moss house

Western Montana has many abandoned, historic mining "ghost towns" like Coloma, a gold mining community in the Garnet Range. For years, Coloma served as an outdoor classroom for UM archaeology students and those working with the SS 244 lab have had the good fortune to develop partnerships with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conduct research at this remote and scenic site. This photo shows one among scores of ruins scattered across the landscape at Coloma that students have helped document.