Floodwaters fail to dampen spirits at ASU's Kampsville Field School

July 4, 2008

Faculty, staff and students at the Center for American Archeology got more than they'd bargained for this summer as heavy rains flooded the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, where the center, and ASU's Kampsville Field School, are located. "We definitely dodged a bullet," states Buikstra, the center's director and a professor of bioarchaeology in ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. "The situation for us is basically just a nuisance, and we sympathize deeply with those in other parts of the Mississippi drainage who are less fortunate. We had about 9 more feet of water during 1993 and know how devastating and demoralizing major flood events can be."

The water crested-literally inches before entering buildings—early on the morning of June 30—leaving faculty and staff to improvise creative solutions to the problems posed by flooding. The center's groundskeeper, Otto Retzer, constructed an elevated plank walkway to provide continued access to the osteology lab. Faculty held ad hoc lectures on days when heavy rainfall limited fieldwork. And students at the acclaimed center not only forged ahead with their studies but also pitched in alongside the National Guard to help fill and stack sandbags in town.

Though some difficulties remain, such as mud and moisture at the geophysical sensing site, a positive outlook and a spirit of cooperation permeate the Center for American Archeology, which is moving ahead with its annual Archeology Day on July 12. In fact, the event is expected to be bigger and better than ever. The program was recently expanded to include new activities and a visit from a society of professional spear-throwers, who will be doing demonstrations with atlatls. The fun-filled day sounds like a well-deserved respite for the faculty, staff and students at the Center for American Archeology.

Rebecca Howe, rebecca.howe@asu.edu
(480) 727-6577
School of Human Evolution and Social Change