Exploring Heritage Archaeology at Indiana University

Abstract

This article is an overview of a collaborative Indiana University (IU) Bicentennial Project designed to explore and raise awareness of the cultural heritage on IU’s historic Bloomington campus, protect the university’s archaeological resources, contribute to its teaching and research mission, and enhance documentation and interpretation of its historic house museum. The primary project partners were IU’s Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology and the Wylie House Museum, a unit of IU Libraries. Using state-of-the art remote sensing methods and traditional archaeological excavations, the project sought to locate the buried subterranean greenhouses at the home of first university president, Andrew Wylie. Historical research focused on the position of the Wylies and IU in the development of the city of Bloomington, particularly on the transition from subsistence farming in the mid-19th century to the development of leisurely gardening and floriculture later in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Through campus archaeological field school opportunities, internships, talks, exhibits, presentations on campus, and outreach opportunities throughout the university and Bloomington communities, the project contributed to the IU curriculum and promoted a better understanding of IU’s cultural heritage. Importantly, this campus archaeology project provided a unique opportunity to pursue place-based education and experiential learning that connected students, university, and community stakeholders to their local heritage.