The graduate program in archaeology is designed to prepare students to become high quality archaeologists through a combination of coursework and independent research. The overarching themes of the archaeology graduate program align with faculty research foci on the social, political, economic, and ecological dimensions of hunter-gatherer and non-state agricultural societies in western North America and the Isthmus of Panama. Students are expected to develop a deep understanding of evolutionary and economic theoretical approaches, major problems in regional culture history, and analytical approaches such as lithic analysis, zooarchaeology, paleoethnobotany, and ground stone studies. The depth and breadth of knowledge gained by our students prepare them for competitive positions in Cultural Resource Management and related fields, or alternatively enter into doctoral programs for students wishing to continue on the academic trajectory.

Facilities Available to Graduate Students

The Archaeological Curation Facility (ACF) provides long-term care for historic and prehistoric archaeological collections and associated archives. The bulk of the collections were generated through systematic archaeological research in northern and southeastern California on public and privately owned lands since the 1950s. The ACF also houses comparative fauna, flora, and geological materials used in the analysis of archaeological remains, as well as teaching collections produced through experimental studies.

The Sacramento State Zooarchaeology Lab is housed within the Archaeological Curation Facility (ACF). The lab provides a space for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct thesis level research under the direction of Dr. Jacob Fisher. A comprehensive collection of mammalian, avian, reptile, and fish comparatives are available for the identification of archaeofaunal remains. A full reference library includes texts on human and non-human osteology, identification manuals, zooarchaeology method and theory, and animal biogeography. A variety of microscopes, digital calipers and scales, and desktop and laptop stations are used for data recordation.

The ACF also houses a paleoethnobotanical lab, including microscopy and related equipment for conducting starch grain analysis, and a comparative collection of pressed plants and seed specimens. The Department of Anthropology provides graduate students access (on request) to a computer lab with machines that are regularly upgraded to run various software commonly used by archaeologists, including a variety GIS software (including ESRI products) and statistical software (SPSS, R). 

Archaeology Faculty

• C. Adam Berrey
• Jacob Fisher
• Yahaira Núñez-Cortés
• Nathan Stevens
• David Zeanah

 

Recent Theses

Ellis, George Patience (2024). Age Estimation in Yellow-Bellied Marmots: Zooarchaeological Applications and Beyond. J. Fisher (Chair) and Samantha Hens. 

Slowik, Timothy (2023). Prehistoric Chronology and Upland Settlement on Orestimba Creek, Cenral Diablo Range, California. Nathan Stevens (chair) and David Zeanah.

Davies, Rachel (2023). The Sacramento City Garbage Crematory Faunal Assemblage: Early Twentieth Century Consumer Patterns. J. Fisher (chair) and N. Stevens. 

Hanrahan, Kathleen (2023). Distribution and Chronology of Schist Millingstones in Owens Valley. D. Zeanah (chair) and N. Stevens. 

Wilder, Juliana (2023). Prehistoric Land Use, Mobility, and Exchange in Hermit Valley, Alpine County, California. N. Stevens (chair), C. Adam Berrey. 

Holst, Katherine (2022). Sexual Division of Labor in the Late Prehistoric Interval: An Exploration of Women's Flaked Stone Tool Manufacture and Use. N. Stevens (chair) and J. Fisher.

Klinger, Maya (2022). Surface Archaeological Visibility and Holocene Landform Evolution in Owens Valley, California. M. Delacorte (chair), N. Stevens, and Jack Meyer (external)

Mak, Jennifer (2022). Taxonomic Identification of Acorns from Archaeological Contexts. J. Fisher (chair) and M. Delacorte. 

Brown, Gloria Howat (2022). A Systematic Study of Starch Granules from Culturally Significant Plant Taxa of the Central California Coast. N. Stevens (chair), J. Fisher, and L. Louderback (external)

Foster, Brandon (2021). Prehistoric Ceramic Technology and Its Role in Subsistence-Settlement Patterns in Western Great Basin. N. Stevens (chair) and M. Delacorte.

Bradshaw, Ryan (2020). Late Prehistoric Change in the Feather River Watershed, Butte County, California. M. Delacorte (Chair) and Nathan Stevens. 

Farrell, Jenna (2020). Postcranial Metrics of Two Sylvilagus Species and their Occurrence at Kathy's Rockshelter, Northern California. J. Fisher (Chair) and N. Stevens.

Ruiz, Gissel (2020). The Prehistoric Biogeography of Grebes in Owens Valley. J. Fisher (chair) and M. Delacorte. 

Brother, Rosemary (2019). Retracing the Penutian Expansion: Using Visual Analysis and Statistical Research to Map Changes in California Native American Basketry. D. Zeanah (Chair) and M. Delacorte.

Altieri, Nick (2018). Desert Side-notched points as Numic markers: a comparison of Numic and non-Numic artifacts.M. Delacorte (chair) and N. Stevens. 

Cairns, Justin (2016). Prehistoric foraging patterns at CA-SAC-47 Sacramento County, California. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair) and J. Fisher

James, Brian Noel II (2016). Assessing Pre-Newberry Occupation Based on Morphological Variation and Temporal-spatial Distribution of Dart Points in the Inyo-Mono Region, California. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair) and M. Delacorte.

McCollum, Christine (2016). Variation in Pinto Assemblages of the Mojave Desert: The Pinto Basin Site Revisited. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair) and D. Zeanah.

Zickler-Martin, Laurel (2016). Considering the Canine Surrogacy Approach in California: Morphometrics and Variable Contexts. Advisors: J. Fisher (chair) and M. Basgall.

Sibley, Krisstin (2014). Prehistoric Obsidian Use in the Truckee Meadows and Its Implications for Settlement Patterns along the Sierran Front. Advisors: D. Zeanah (chair) and M. Delacorte.

Goshen, Shannon Marie (2014). Late Holocene Trends in Prehistoric Waterfowl Exploitation: Evidence from the Lower Sacramento Valley, California. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair) and J. Fisher

Calloway, Angela K (2013). Assessment, Evaluation, and Significance: A Management Plan for Tunna' Nosi' Kaiva' Gwaa. Advisors: D. Zeanah (chair) and M. Delacorte.

Zelazo, Emilie Malinda (2013). Resource Intensification in Central California: Evidence from the Lower Sacramento River Valley. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair), M. Delacorte, and J. Fisher.

Griffin, S. Joe (2013). Toward an Understanding of Prehistoric Mobility in the Tahoe Sierra: Optimization Theories and Chipped Stone. Advisors: M. Basgall (chair), D. Zeanah, and M. Delacorte.