Scott j. Demel

I am a Great Lakes Archaeologist, Anthropology Professor, researcher and author. My geographic areas of specialty are North America/Great Lakes/ Midwest/​Mid-Continent/Coastal, and Frontier and Island Archaeology.

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I am interested in how different ethnic groups have used the Great Lakes throughout the past and into the mid-19th century. To fully understand the opportunities available along these inland coasts I also study all aspects of the natural environment, cultural landscape, and archaeological and ethnological collections to learn how people have adapted to this dynamic landscape.

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Prior to teaching at Northern Michigan University for the last thirteen years, where I teach a wide variety of anthropology courses and summer archaeology field schools, I worked for eight years at The Field Museum in Chicago where I became the Head of Collections for the Department of Anthropology. Prior to this position I was also an Adjunct Curator of North American & Historical Archaeology in my role as the Collection Project Coordinator. These positions afforded me the opportunity to study firsthand the intricate details of material culture of ethnic groups from around the globe. I also had the opportunity to meet with indigenous representatives that were seeking to repatriate objects or ancestral remains, and to be trained in the use of analytical equipment such as an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental analyzer. During this period I also taught courses in archaeology and co-directed archaeology field schools for DePaul University (Projects: Museum campus landfill, and Pullman State Historic Site). My time in Chicago also allowed me to create archaeology outreach classes/projects for:

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• Grade school students in Kankakee IL; Pembroke Township dig

• Grade school students at the Chinatown Museum dig, Chicago

• Adult learners at onsite outreach archeology lectures, Field Museum, Chicago, IL

• General public education Science on Tap platforms, Chicago IL

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While working on my Ph.D, I was fortunate to work for Midwest Archaeological Research Services (M.A.R.S), Inc., a Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeology company in northern Illinois. While there I was able to be part of a fast-paced field archaeology crew conducting Phase I survey, Phase II testing, and Phase III site excavation and mitigation archaeology.