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Current Archeological Prospection: Advances for Non-destructive Investigations Workshop 2023


People standing in a yard listening to a man talk.
Geophysics Workshop 2018 at the Marksville State Historic Site, Louisiana.

National Park Service

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), the Midwest Archeological Center, Wichita State University, and the Friends of NCPTT, are hosting a five-day training workshop: Current Archeological Prospection Advances for Non-Destructive Investigations. In its thirtieth year, the workshop will be held May 22–26, 2023 at the Country Club site (14CO3) in Arkansas City, Kansas.

The workshop will begin at 8 am on Monday, May 22 and end at 5 pm on Friday, May 26. Although the schedule is weather dependent, the general format will consist of lectures planned in the morning, afternoons dedicated to hands-on fieldwork, and short evening sessions oriented toward other topics like data processing.

Participants will be cultural resource managers and specialists from federal, state, and local government; private contractors; professors and students; and international cultural resource personnel with responsibilities concerning the identification, evaluation, and preservation of archeological and other cultural resources.

Objectives

The workshop is organized to provide a practical introduction to ground-based geophysical and other remote sensing techniques that are commonly used for the purposes of identifying, evaluating, and preserving archeological resources. Among these ground-based methods are magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, earth resistance, metal detecting, conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility. Other techniques that receive attention include terrestrial and airborne lidar, and aerial color and thermal infrared imaging. Lectures cover theory of operation, survey methods, data processing, and interpretation. Participants also have daily opportunities to gain introductory level, hands-on experience in the field.

A group of people operating equipment.
Remote sensing, Marksville, Louisiana.

National Park Service.

Workshop Site (14CO3)

Once composed of 22 separate Great Bend aspect sites (which generally date between AD 1450 and 1700), Country Club is widely regarded as the ancestral Wichita settlement of Etzanoa, visited by Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate in 1601. Accounts from the Oñate expedition are tantalizing. Well over a thousand houses clustered among agricultural fields are said to have stretched for miles along what is today known as Walnut River. The site is represented archeologically by several extant earthen mounds, low midden mounds, houses, and storage pits. A recent publication in American Antiquity (Casana et al. 2020) describes the results of a multisensor UAV survey in one area of the site where a suspected “council circle,” a ceremonial earthwork was documented. Current investigations of the site by Wichita State University have received considerable media attention.

Learn more about the site:

Instructors

Course instructors consist of experienced practitioners, representatives of instrument manufacturers, and software developers. This list is subject to change, but we anticipate instructors such as Dr. Jarrod Burks, Ohio Valley Archaeology, Inc.; Dr. Kris Lockyear, University College London; David Wilbourn, DW Consulting; Dr. Larry Conyers, Denver University; Peter Leach, Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.; Dr. Lewis Somers, Geoscan Research USA; Geoff Jones, Archaeo-Physics, LLC; Dr. Doug Scott, Colorado Mesa University; and Chris Kenney, SPX (Sensors and Software).

Agenda

The course agenda will be released to registered participants.

You can expect to see hands-on exercises in the classroom and in the field, as well as lectures and presentations regarding the theory and method of advancements in archeological prospection.

Logistics

Dates: May 22 - 26, 2023.
The workshop will begin at 8 am on Monday, May 22 and end at 5 pm on Friday, May 26.

Fee: Regular participants: $800. Student participants: $500.

Location: Arkansas City, Kansas.
The lecture portion of the workshop will be held in the Wright Room of the Brown Center (215 S 2nd St), located on the campus of Cowley College (125 S 2nd St, Arkansas City, KS) in Arkansas City, KS. Field exercises will take place at two nearby locations, with more information forthcoming. The weather in southeastern Kansas is generally warm by May, with average high temperatures of about 78°F and lows around 56°F. Rain is also likely, so plan accordingly.

Transportation and Housing: Participants will provide their own transportation to and from Arkansas City, Kansas. The nearest airports are Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City, and Tulsa International Airport (TUL).

Lodging has been arranged at Oscar Kimmell Dormitory (125 S 4th St, Arkansas City, KS), also on the campus of Cowley College. Private rooms, each with a bathroom, are available for $10.00 per night. The deadline to request a dorm room is Thursday, May 11 at 5:00 pm CT. Note that you must provide your own towels and bedding for a twin XL, and no alcohol is allowed in the dorm. Wifi is available in the dorms. If you are planning on staying in the dorm, choose the add-on when registering. Alternative lodging options in Arkansas City, KS, include Best Western Plus-Patterson Park Inn, Quality Inn, Super 8 by Wyndham, and Americas Best Value Inn.

Food: Meals will be the responsibility of the participants. Many food and drink options are available within walking distance or a short drive from Cowley College.

Apply for this Workshop

Follow this link to register for the workhop.

Deadline to apply: Friday, May 19, 2023 by 5:00 pm (Central Time).

Deadline to reserve a dorm room: Thursday, May 11, 2023 by 5:00 pm (Central Time).

Friends of NCPTT Events Cancellation Policy:

Since workshops and conferences fill quickly, please sign up as early as possible. If you need to withdraw from an event, you must contact the organizer in writing via email to Tad Britt, tad_britt@nps.gov (318) 521-5641.

Cancellations more than 30 days prior to an event will be fully refunded less a $30 administrative fee. No refunds will be available for cancellations within 30 days of the event, but funds may be credited towards a future NCPTT event. If the Friends of NCPTT must cancel an event, you may choose a full refund of the registration fee or a credit for a future Friends of NCPTT event.

Questions?
Questions should be directed to Dr. Adam Wiewel (402) 437-5392 x139 or adam_wiewel@nps.gov, or Tad Britt, tad_britt@nps.gov (318) 521-5641.

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Last updated: October 26, 2023