Our vision is that every Honors student has the opportunity to engaging in experiential learning. Education happens in and outside of the classroom, and Honors Study Away courses uniquely challenge students to culitivate new skills, make connections, and deepen their understanding of interndisciplinary ideas. Study Away courses differ from Study Abroad courses in that they domestic programs and can be a cost-effective alternative to study abroad programs.
Travel Scholarships
We understand the difficulty and challenges that a study away program can present to a student. To support students with the financial challenge, Study Abroad/Away scholarships are available from the Honors College and other entities on campus.
HP 3050: Wyoming Spring Creek Field Studies: Anthropology/Archaeology
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Jim Johnson
Modality: Study Away program
Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Application Deadline: March 17, 2024
Application Portal: Application (UW students select external login option)
Estimated Cost: $2500
Travel Dates: July 7-28, 2024
Travel Locations: Laramie, WY, Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve located a short drive west of the
small town of Rock River, WY.
Course Description:
In this program students will participate in a unique and valuable field studies program, unearthing rare, valuable archeological and anthropological artifacts at Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve located a short drive west of the small town of Rock River, WY. The property is a sprawling 6000-acre tract that embraces pristine dinosaur-bone-bearing beds, at least 9,000 years of Native American prehistory and history, native prairie ecosystems, and a section of the original grade of the 1869 trans-continental railroad. There are even the remains of an old ghost town on the property. The Preserve includes prominent exposures of the Jurassic Morrison Formation, which contains some of the most famous dinosaurs in the world. Unlike many dinosaur sites, the Spring Creek Preserve was left untouched during the great Western U.S. excavations of the 19th and 20th centuries.
As an engaged and active participant in this program, you will have the opportunity to develop:
An understanding of basic survey techniques, including creation of transects, conducting survey, surface collection
An understanding of archaeological mapping techniques, how to layout an excavation square, how to map it in relation to other features
An understanding of how and why archaeologists use shovel testing
Through excavation of 1m x 1m square, understand stratigraphy, appropriately recognize and record stratigraphy and features, recover artifacts, document excavation process (excavation journal)
Through processing, curating, cataloging, and conducting preliminary analysis on archaeological artifacts recovered in the field
An understanding of the history and pre-history of Wyoming
Taught by a University of Wyoming anthropology professor Jim Johnson, this course is offered as a joint program with the University of Pittsburgh where students from Pitt Honors will collaborate and learn alongside University of Wyoming Honors students. To apply, University of Wyoming students will apply through the University of Pittsburgh application portal. Please contact Dr. Johnson with any questions regarding the course and program.
