Mudslinging at the Museum: Anthropology Students Dig Deep to Explore Arizona’s History

Thursday, October 24, 2019
A photo of SCC anthropology students posing outdoors.

Anthropology and Archaeology students at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) recently joined other volunteers at Pueblo Grande Museum, in Phoenix, which is home to a Hohokam Platform Mound (more than 1,000 years old), to help stabilize the mound with a special mix of mud and glue to prevent erosion.

Students in the Buried Cities & Lost Tribes: New World; Buried Cities & Lost Tribes: Old World; and Bones, Stones and Human Evolution classes received extra credit to participate.

“This is a service to the community and the history of Arizona, said Dr. Lisa Marsio, SCC Professor of Archaeology & Biological Anthropology and Behavioral Sciences Day Department Chair. “Students experience archaeological conservation at work and now have some buy-in to the preservation of the mound.” She plans to incorporate this activity as a regular service-learning event in her department.

SCC’s Associate in Arts (AA), Anthropology degree provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in anthropology. Students can easily transfer their credits to a four-year university. With a bachelor`s degree, students may pursue a career as a social science research assistant. With a graduate degree, students may pursue employment opportunities in several careers, including anthropologists, archaeologists, anthropology and archaeology professors, ethnic and cultural studies professors, and curators.

Learn more about the Anthropology degree program. Find out more about the Pueblo Grande Museum.