Familiarity with current technology looms as a critical criterion for success in the job search of newly graduated archaeology B.A.s. The Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University proposes an Undergraduate Materials Analysis and Imaging Laboratory (UMAIL) for undergraduate anthropology student instruction and research in archaeology: The UMAIL will serve undergraduate anthropology majors as an interactive classroom and provide resources for undergraduate student research and independent study. The lab also will help prepare pre-service K-12 teachers to incorporate anthropology exercises and examples in natural and social science lesson plans. In 1996, the Department of Anthropology re-structured the Bachelor's Degree program into one of the most demanding undergraduate programs in the nation. The new curriculum revolves around a series of core laboratory courses that provide undergraduate students with intensive, well-rounded, hands-on laboratory training in the four fields of anthropology: archaeology, socio-cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. NAU's archaeology laboratories contain extensive comparative collections of prehistoric artifacts and ecofacts for student use. The lack of laboratory equipment, however, looms as a barrier to learning and use of collections. We propose to outfit our undergraduate teaching laboratory with up-to-date microscopes and graphics imaging equipment. UMAIL will provide hands-on science laboratory experience to as many students as possible through our new curriculum, special seminars and workshops, and training sessions for students associated with the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department and Hopi Cultural Preservation Office. The goal of this plan is to graduate anthropology B.A.s with scientific professional skills and experience necessary to compete in today's job market.
