Facilities & Labs - The University of Tulsa
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Facilities & Labs

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.

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.

  • Helmerich Center for American Research at Gilcrease Museum

    Students are encouraged to study in the archives, which houses more than 100,000 rare books, documents, maps and unpublished works. The collection at Helmerich Center for American Research includes a vast archive of printed documents, dating back to the time of Columbus, that detail Spanish arrival in the New World, as well as documents that tell the stories of the New England colonies, Westward expansion and the experiences of America’s native peoples.

  • Gilcrease Museum

    Gilcrease Museum is one of the country’s best facilities for the preservation and study of American art and history. The museum houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West, including an unparalleled collection of Native American art and material.  Not only is Gilcrease a wonderful place for anthropology student to intern, but also TU students have helped write the explanations to go along with exhibits.