Wisconsin Archaeology

LAKE MENDOTA CANOES: CONNECTING PAST & PRESENT The video provides an inside look at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s prominent maritime archaeology program, the people behind it and the fascinating unde...

The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce that they are seeking applications to fill the vacant archaeologist position in the State Historic Preservation Office.

The Wisconsin Historical Society, considered one of the nation's finest historical institutions, is a State of Wisconsin government agency as well as a mission-driven entrepreneurial organization. The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. At its core, the Society believes that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural, and economic benefit. The Society’s values are to Embrace a Spirit of Service, Engage our Expertise, Spark Enthusiasm, Cultivate Inclusion, Exceed Expectations, and Think Big and Grow with Purpose. Its collections, historic sites and museums, historic preservation office and extensive educational programs are focused on enriching and transforming lives through unparalleled access to history.

This position handles a wide range of tasks within the State Archaeology and Maritime Preservation Program of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). This position is responsible for data entry into, maintenance of, and management of archaeological information in the Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database (WHPD), as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping. This position also provides assistance to SHPO staff members, federal and state agencies, local municipalities, professional consultants, and the public regarding the state’s archaeological sites and the content of WHPD. As requested or needed, the position conducts fieldwork, prepares reports, engages in public outreach, and prepares and corrects cataloging documentation for burial sites. This position maintains internal project records via electronic and paper means; prepares reports summarizing the positions’ work activity; analyzes data of varying complexity; and provides verbal and written responses to staff and the public as needed.

This professional position works under the general supervision of the State Archaeologist. Work is performed with a great deal of independence. The position may lead limited term employees, work study students, and/or volunteers.

To Apply, please visit the Employment Information Page at: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS17105
or visit https://wisc.jobs

Applications are due at 11:59PM on February 26, 2024.

We're getting excited for the Society's first in-person event of 2023! Come and see where C.E. Brown is buried, learn a little about his life, and then continue on to see the effigy-shaped burial mounds of Forest Hill Cemetery. Bob Birmingham will be talking about Charlie and providing his insights on the mounds and the builders of those mounds. See our Events section or click on over to our website for more details http://wiarcheologicalsociety.org/events . While you are over on our website, consider joining the Society so that we can continue our mission of education and preservation!

Reminder! Only a few couple of short hours until tonight's presentation on the Dugout Canoe Survey by Dr. Sissel Schroeder. We even have a special guest helping with questions and answers (hint, she's prominently featured in the photo promoting this event). Sign up at:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: What’s Canoe with Us? An Update on the Wisconsin Dugout Canoe Survey. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. When this project began in 2018, the Wisconsin Historical Society knew of 11 dugout canoes in the state. As a result of intensive efforts to contact local museums and historical societies across the state, and through diving expeditions, we have identified and documented more than 40 dugouts from ar...

After a bit of a delay, our October and November presentations are now available for online Viewing.

https://wihist.org/CEB-Oct22 - Vance Holliday presents on the discoveries of pre-Clovis human footprints at White Sands.

https://wihist.org/CEB-Nov22 = Caitlin Zant presents on investigations of the flooded Freedom Mine in Sauk County, Wisconsin.

Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Screen Sharing - Zoom Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and cross platform group chat into one easy-to-use platform. Our solution offers the best video, audio, and screen-sharing experience across Zoom Rooms, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and H.323/SIP room systems.

Reminder for tonight's presentation! Register at

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: The Story of the People, Fire, and Pines in the Great Lakes Region. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Do trees remember human history? Join the Charles E. Brown chapter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society and Dr. Evan Larson as he passes on the stories that the trees of the North Woods have to tell. Notions of Wilderness as untrammeled and unpeopled are pervasive in Western society and readily le...

Reminder that we are one week away from the next presentation in this season. Register at https://wihist.org/CEB-Dec22
The Story of People, Fire, and Pines in the Great Lakes
December 8, 2022, 7:00 PM
Do trees remember human history? Come hear Dr. Larson discuss a new and amazing study linking tree-ring data, decades of archaeological work in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Indigenous Knowledge, and the rich cultural history of the region. How did people actively shape what is often thought of as a pristine landscape? How can we be better stewards of the land and manage dramatic climate and cultural change? join us and find out!