This REU Site award provides funding for 10 students to participate in a 10-week REU Site. The focus of the site is archaeobiology at Sylvester Manor, Shelter Island, New York. The 250 acre site contains extensive and well-preserved archaeological remains of a Late Woodland (pre-contact) Native American settlement, and a 1652-1735 agricultural plantation established to ship provisions to the Caribbean. The primary goals of the research are to understand the patterns of cultural interaction and cultural change among the diverse groups on the plantation, and to reconstruct land use and landscape change through time. This research has promise to add an important new perspective to our understanding of colonization and cultural transformation in Colonial America.
The first week of this REU Site is spent in laboratory training, the next four weeks are spent on archaeological excavation and sample collection at Sylvester Manor, and the last five weeks are laboratory work and research write-up. At the end of the 10 weeks, the students will engage in public presentation of their research results.
This award contributes to the Foundation's continuing efforts to attract talented students into careers in science through active undergraduate research experiences.
