The Archaeology Teaching Lab
The Archaeology Teaching Lab
The classroom is a dynamic, student-centered space dedicated primarily to undergraduate learning and engagement. Housing collections from around the world – with a strong focus on Ontario – the lab supports hands-on education through class labs, volunteer opportunities and high school tours. The space also serves as a hub for undergraduate community-building, including social events and collaborative research.
The lab features state-of-the-art audio-visual aids to facilitate teaching and student presentations, as well as all the necessary equipment required for analytical procedures in archaeology. Along the walls, display cases demonstrate the archaeological process and highlight artifacts from the department’s archaeological research collections.
Key Features of the Archaeology Teaching Lab
Located in the Archaeology Teaching Lab, the Archaeology Library Collection, previously part of the Department of Anthropology’s Richard Slobodin Library, is available for student use.
Comprised of almost 350 periodicals, site reports, monographs and rare publication series, the collection covers Canadian and international archaeology. See the Library Catalogue for available titles.
Access to this area is restricted to those individuals who have completed their required health and safety training. This space offers students the opportunity to prepare their own skeletal specimen as part of ANTH 3X03 – Zooarchaeology.
It is equipped with an exhaust hood, sinks, and all the necessary dissection equipment. The wet lab also serves as an area for flotation of archaeobotanical specimens, bulk sediment analysis, and the cleaning and processing of shell-midden matrix.
Ethnographic Collection
Over 200 pieces of historic material culture from across North America, Australia and Africa.
Donated & Ontario Collections
Over 20,000 artifacts from archaeological sites across Ontario, this collection features individual donations, but also the Rutherford Smith Collection as well as the A.E. Wood Collection of Ontario artifacts.
Archaeological Research Collections
This collection consists of partially and fully excavated sites from across Ontario. The collection focuses primarily on Neutral Iroquoian sites from Southwestern Ontario but also includes sites from Central and Northern Ontario.
Meet the Team
Melissa Dunham
MA
Instructional Assistant, Anthropology
Archaeology Teaching Laboratory