Scott first became interested in archaeology when she was 15 years old. She chose it as the topic for her career term paper project in her sophomore English class. “When I discovered that many archaeologists not only teach, but also get to excavate sites and find out amazing things about the past, I was hooked. I never even considered another occupation.”
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The Ste. Genevieve Field School
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Since coming to ISU in 2002, Scott has developed her own top-notch field school in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The project focuses on a particular house lot that was occupied as a residence between 1780 and 1970. The first family to live on the site were the French Bequettes, who resided there until 1840. The second family to live there were the French-African American Ribaults, who resided there from 1840 until 1970. The restored house, built in 1807, still stands on the property, providing students with a visual example of the kinds of French colonial buildings that they will find archaeologically. Students participating in the field school work for approximately ten days and learn the techniques of archaeological excavation, recovery, and mapping. Since the house is located within the town of Ste. Genevieve, local residents who are interested in archaeology come to observe the fieldwork and ask questions, providing students the opportunity to learn how to communicate what they are doing to the public.
“Field school courses enable students to get hands-on experience by learning archaeology as they do it; the only way to learn how to do archaeology is to actually get your hands dirty,” said Scott. “In addition, students learn how to work with others, sharing both the fieldwork demands and the intellectual results of what they are doing.”
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers three archaeological field school projects each summer for both undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to Scott’s program, Dr. Orser leads the Archaeology of Rural Life in Ireland Project and Dr. James Skibo leads the Grand Island, Michigan Archaeological Project. These projects complement the Department’s newly developed Master's of Historical Archaeology program, for which Scott serves as the program advisor. The program focuses specifically on the study of cultures that either have inhabited the world since the beginning of modern history or which have a long literate tradition.
Scott earned her A.B. in Anthropology from the University of Georgia in 1980, and her M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Florida in 1984, where she studied with Dr. Charles Fairbanks, one of the founders of historical archaeology. In 1991, she earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with Dr. Janet Spector, who has been at the forefront of feminist archaeology.
“I was attracted to ISU’s program for two reasons,” said Scott. “One is the significance of the program; this is one of only a handful of master’s programs in the country that train students in the multidisciplinary field of historical archaeology, one of the fastest growing kinds of archaeology in the world today. The second reason I was interested in the position at ISU was because Professor Charles E. Orser, Jr., was here. It is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Orser is one of the most acclaimed historical archaeologists in the world and that he has a reputation as a top-notch scholar and colleague. The opportunity to come and work with him in a new program devoted to historical archaeology was very attractive, indeed.”