Lab work and access to cutting edge equipment is an integral part of anthropological and sociological research conducted at TU. These facilities house state of the art equipment available for research and teaching. The availability of such equipment makes the TU anthropology and sociology department unique among other departments in the region.
THE HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE STUDIES LAB
Under the direction of Alicia Odewale, this lab explores the material remains of diasporic communities in the past, with a specific focus on artifacts connected to African heritage within the context of both enslavement and freedom.
For access to the Historical Archaeology and Heritage Studies Lab, contact Alicia Odewale.
HUMAN ECOLOGY LAB
The Laboratory of Human Ecology is focused on research about human-environmental interactions over long time periods. We work primarily with pottery, skeletal, and environmental data from Native American sites, European trade items, and historic documents.
For access to the human ecology lab, contact Thomas Foster.
LITHIC MICROWEAR AND TECHNOLOGY LAB
The Lithic Microwear and Technology Lab conducts research on understanding human behavior through the application of microwear analysis to archaeological assemblages.
For access to the Lithic Microwear and Technology Lab, contact Danielle Macdonald.
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY AND HUMAN OSTEOLOGY LAB
The Paleoanthropology and Human Osteology Lab hosts a large collection of museum quality casts of fossils hominins and primates spanning the cenozonic.
For access to the Paleoanthropology and Human Osteology Collection, contact Miriam Belmaker.
PALEOCOLOGY AND ZOOARCHAEOLOGY LAB
The Paleoecology and Zooarchaeology Lab hosts a zooarchaeological comparative collection, research conducted in the lab includes paleoecological and zooarchaeological analyses on faunal assemblages from Israel, Jordan, Republic of Georgia, Kazakhstan and China dating from 2.0 million years ago to Historic periods.
For access to the Paleoecology and Zooarchaeology Lab, contact Miriam Belmaker.
DON R. DICKSON LITHIC COMPARATIVE COLLECTION
The Don R. Dickson Lithic Comparative Collection is a large reference collection of lithic raw materials, assembled by Don Dickson over the course of his career. Dickson, an archeologist and flint-knapper, has particular expertise in lithics, lithic sources and Ozark prehistoric peoples. He excavated Calf Creek Cave and named the Calf Creek and Searcy points.
For access to the Don R. Dickson Lithic Comparative Collection, contact Danielle Macdonald.
DONALD O. HENRY NEAR EASTERN LITHIC ARTIFACTS COLLECTION
The laboratory is a repository for one of the largest collections (more than 500,000 specimens) housed in North America of chipped stone artifacts recovered from prehistoric sites in the Near East.
For access to the Donald O. Henry Near Eastern Lithic Artifacts Collection, contact Danielle Macdonald.
SURFACE METROLOGY AND TRIBOLOGY FACILITY
The focus of research in the laboratory of surface metrology and tribology is the analysis of use-wear patterns on a wide range of archaeological materials, including but not limited to materials as dental enamel, bone, lithics, and ceramics.
For access to the Surface Metrology and Tribology Facility, contact Miriam Belmaker.