Students dig up UK history in unique class
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 1, 2022) — At the University of Kentucky, learning experiences expand beyond the classroom. That's what a group of students experienced this summer, as part of an anthropology field school course.
The students uncovered elements of local history by digging behind campus buildings, which have had multiple purposes over the years — homes, sororities, boarding houses and offices.
“You can certainly learn about archaeology in a classroom and from reading books and articles and from discussions,” said Elena Sesma, assistant professor of anthropology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, who led the dig. “But it's a really hands-on field. You can read about the methods of excavation, but you also need to actually put a trowel in the hands of students and teach them how to remove soil, how to sift soil and identify artifacts. That takes training.”
Watch the video above to learn more about this unique class experience offered at UK.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.