Most people think of history as what scholars learn from documents, and archaeology as what Indiana Jones or other famous practitioners do in foreign places. Historical archaeology in America is, however, an established field of study. This illustrated lecture will explain why archaeology adds important perspectives for understanding American history. Two prime examples – excavations at the Landing Ford Plantation in Upland and the Plank House in Marcus Hook – will illustrate this point.

About the Instructor: Dr. Mitchell Rothman

Dr. Mitchell Rothman trained as an anthropological archaeologist at the University of Michigan (B.A.), Hunter College (CUNY)(M.A.), and the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.). He is a retired emeritus professor of anthropology and archaeology at Widener University. Although his early career focused on American digs and surveys in New Mexico, Illinois, and upstate New York, his goal was always to work in the Middle East. His preparation for that included learning to read ancient cuneiform texts, to do archaeological excavation, and to understand anthropological theories. His work in Iran, Turkey, and Iraq approached the question of the rise of the modern state in prehistoric Mesopotamia. His current work focuses on the contemporaneous cultures of the Southern Caucasus, the Kura-Araxes, which led him to Armenia and now Israel following their migration. He is also currently cataloging the artifacts excavated at the Plank House in Marcus Hook.