Hamilton Gallery displays archaeological findings by Salve Regina students
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery has announced the opening of “From the Ice Age to the Gilded Age: Archaeological Research at Salve Regina University.” The exhibition features artifacts and research related to archaeological work by students in Salve Regina’s cultural and historic preservation (CHP) program.
Archaeology seeks to help the modern world understand its past through the objects people left behind. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through New England’s history with the help of artifacts recovered by students, who conducted archaeological digs in Maine and on the grounds of Ochre Court. These digs span thousands of years – from the time of the earliest indigenous hunter-gatherers to the 19th-century East Coast elite who spent their summers in Newport.
The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Heather Rockwell, assistant professor in the CHP program, and Kaleigh Trischman, a double major in CHP and sociology and anthropology.
CHP students didn’t have to travel far for hands-on experience in the field. In a year-long project, they have been digging up artifacts outside of Ochre Court and McAuley Hall. However, their findings have been nothing short of surprising. While examining artifacts from the 1800s, the students also discovered artifacts from Colonial America, which are on display as part of the exhibition.
In addition to the digs on campus, an excavation in northern Maine sent students back in time even further as they explored prehistoric archaeology. “This is the time period when there are woolly mammoths walking around,” Rockwell said. “We get to see and talk a lot about environmental change and the kinds of animals that were there.”
As one of only eight undergraduate preservation programs in the country, Salve Regina’s CHP program provides students with a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on research in the field. This experience is not only important for student exploration, but is vital for students entering the beginning of their professional careers.
“I got to take part in a dig really early on in my career, and it’s what cemented me wanting to be an archaeologist,” Rockwell said. “You get to live out your 8-year-old fantasy of doing jobs that you didn’t realize were jobs.”
Students at an archaeological dig in northern Maine.
