Staff News - Arkansas Archeological Survey

Michelle Rathgaber, ARAS Educational Outreach Coordinator, was elected as the Social Media Editor/Webmaster for the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC) in November. She will serve one year as Social Media Editor elect, learning about the position from the current Social Media Editor and will then serve in the role for three years. The SEAC Social Media Editor does all of the social media postings on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; and updates and maintains the SEAC website. SEAC is an organization that promotes interest in the archaeology of the southeastern United States and neighboring areas, serves as a bond among those interested in this and related subjects, publishes data and reports, advocates for the conservation of archaeological sites, collections, and data, and encourages an appreciation and support of archaeological research.

Alex W. Barker, Director of the Arkansas Archeological Survey, has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries London, a royal learned society founded in and receiving its royal charter in the eighteenth century, and housed with the Royal Astronomical Society, the Linnaean Society, and the Royal Academy of Arts in Bulington House, London.

Fellows are elected in accordance with the Society’s 1751 Royal Charter on the basis that they are ‘excelling in the knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other nations.’ Fellows must be sponsored by five or more elected Fellows (a process called “taking out a Blue Paper”) and must be elected by a two-third majority of the existing Fellows.

Fellows are distinguished archaeologists, historians, anthropologists and art historians, and their total number is limited by statute. Election is recognition by existing Fellows of an individual’s achievements in a particular field of antiquarian activity. Those elected are called ‘Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries’ (or ‘Fellows’ for short) and use the post-nominal initials ‘FSA’.

On September 26, 2024, Arkansas archeology, and indeed Central Mississippi Valley, southeastern and midwestern, and all of American archeology, lost a great colleague and scholar earlier this week, Dan F. Morse. Dan had conducted archeology in many states, and made important discoveries at a lot of well-known sites, some made more so because of his work and prolific writings on those sites, including Etowah, Cahokia, Steuben, Pinson, Nodena, Parkin, Brand, Sloan, Zebree, and many, many more.

Dan F. Morse

Gillian Steeno, Society/Survey Liaison, was recently selected to serve on the Next Generation Advisory Committee for Humanities AR for a 2024-2026 term. The Committee is a group comprised of young individuals between the ages of 18-35 from around the state holding different positions in universities, non-profits, and other organizations. They are individuals who help initiate innovative, exciting new programs in collaboration with the Humanities AR Board and staff and all share the same passion for promoting Humanities to the next generation of leaders. Gillian is excited to serve in this new role and is looking forward to working with committee members to further Humanities AR's mission.

Matthew Rooney, our archeologist stationed at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, recently joined the Journal of Emerging Investigators as an associate editor. JEI is an open-access journal that publishes original research in the biological and physical sciences written by middle and high school students. Rooney's task as an associate editor is to move several manuscripts each year through the scientific review process—selecting reviewers and preparing letters with referee comments to send back to authors. In this way, Rooney will help shepherd students through their opportunity to submit and gain feedback on original research and publish their findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Liley Bozard was recently hired as the Survey's full time NAGPRA and Collections Assistant. Liley is a 2024 graduate of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville where she graduated summa cum laude with honors in Anthropology. During her time at the university, Liley was an executive member of the university's undergraduate anthropology club, the AnthroHogs, where she served as the organization's vice president (2023-2024). She was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Lambda Alpha honor societies. She has interests in ceremonialism, foodways, and community-making in southeastern Indigenous communities, which were largely reflected in her honors thesis, "A Three-Dimensional Analysis of Parkin Phase Vessels, ca. AD 1450, Eastern Arkansas". Under the direction of Dr. Jessica Kowalski, Liley examined ~800 whole vessels from Parkin and Nodena phase sites to understand how activities regarding food may differ between these contemporaneous phases. Furthermore, she worked for the ARAS for three years, first as a Laboratory Assistant and later Lab Lead. Outside of her work, Liley is also one of the vice presidents of the Arkansas Archeological Society's Executive Board.

The passing of Mary Lynn Kennedy on August 19, 2023, touched many of us who were her colleagues here at the Arkansas Archeological Survey with sadness but also fond memories. Mary Lynn retired from the Survey back in 2006, after 31 years as editor for the publications program. During those 31 years she brought to print 52 volumes of the ARAS Research Series, two Popular Series books, 11 Technical Papers, and 32 Research Reports. Learn more about Mary Lynn's life and contributions to the Survey.

Honoring Mary Lynn Kennedy