Tyler Putman

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Heidelberg this May, majoring in Anthropology. This summer I am working as the teaching assistant for the archaeological field school, and in July will move to Delaware, where I will begin a Masters degree fellowship at the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. For the last three years, my research at Heidelberg has involved studying the clothing artifacts from Johnson’s Island, and considering how garments and appearance affected prisoner identity. Having begun my studies at Heidelberg as a participant in the 2006 field school, assisting with the management of the 2009 program will be a nice way to end my Heidelberg experience.

Phil Parenti

I am a senior at Kent State University, working towards a B.S. in anthropology. The Johnson’s Island Field School is a great opportunity for me to gain hands-on experience, which will enable me to employ the education I have received in a real-world environment.

Tim Connolly

I hold an undergraduate degree in political science from Vassar College and a M.S. in teaching from The New School, and currently work as a humanitarian emergency response manager for the United Nations. I am also a licensed social studies teacher in Wisconsin. Faced with the need to obtain additional credits in anthropology to renew my teaching credentials, I looked for an opportunity to get out of the classroom and gain actual field experience. The Johnson’s Island program appealed to me primarily because it was one of the few field schools offered in historical archaeology, and because of its focus on the Civil War period. I look forward over the next five weeks to learning the techniques and procedures that go into the exploration of this important site.

Juli Six

I am a photographer and an anthropology undergrad at The Ohio State University. I also sell handmade clothing and accessories on Etsy.com and am researching graduate programs in bioarchaeology and dentition. Johnson’s Island field school is an excellent opportunity for me to further develop excavation skills and fulfill my childhood dream of being an archaeologist.

Beth Bradley

I am from Ravenswood, West Virginia, and attend Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, where I am a senior history major and theater minor. I plan to go to graduate school, after finishing my bachelors’ degree next May, for archaeology. I’m hoping to go to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia for my graduate work, where I will specialize in colonial American archaeology and history. Before going to graduate school, I had to do a field school. I love the Civil War era and participate in Civil War reenactments when I can. There isn’t a lot of archaeology done in the Civil War era, so when I heard about Johnson’s Island, I wanted to take the opportunity since it is an unusual one. In the weeks to come I would like to be able to learn as many rudimentary skills in excavating and identifying objects as possible that I can use in years to come and not have to start from scratch the next time I’m on a site.

Brittany Webb

My name is Brittany Webb and I’m from California. I attend the California Polytechnic University of Pomona and I am a third-year archaeology student with technical senior status and preparing to graduate next quarter. I came to Johnson’s Island because I learned a great deal about this period while living in Maryland and was interested in digging an historic site as opposed to the prehistoric desert work my school does. By attending this field school, I hope to grasp a better understanding of field methods and the ongoing activities of the field so I can better hold my temper when dealing with the results of field digs in the laboratory setting.

Marc Van Horn

My name is Marc Van Horn, and I recently graduated from Central Michigan University with a B.S. in anthropology and history. I joined this field school because I enjoy Civil War history and needed further field experience in preparation for graduate school in archaeology. I plan to continue on to obtain a Ph.D. in anthropology, taking advantage of upcoming specialties such as archaeomagnetism.

Philip Smith

I am a senior at Rogers State University in Claremore, OK, where I will graduate this summer with a B.A. in History and Political Science. I plan to seek a Masters degree upon return to my native Oklahoma, and continue to indulge my propensity to investigate all things that remain in the ground, undiscovered.

Darcy Young

I’m from Green Springs, Ohio and am currently a sophomore at Heidelberg University. I’m attending the field school so I can find out more about the archaeology field. As of right now my major is undecided, but I’m leaning towards anthropology, and my minor is history. The Civil War has always interested me and now I can study it in a hands-on way. I find Johnson’s Island to be a great place to study.

Hannah Krumheuer

My name is Hannah Krumheuer, and I’m a senior at Kent State University. I’m majoring in anthropology, with a specialization in Archaeology. I plan on attending graduate school, though I haven’t made any definite plans yet. When I was little, I would lose myself in back issues of National Geographic. I’ve wanted to be an archaeologist ever since!

Click here to meet the crew from past field seasons!