By James M. Skibo
[jmskibo@ilstu.edu] and
Professor of Anthropology
Illinois State University
By Gina L. Hunter
[glhunt2@ilstu.edu]
Professor of Anthropology
Illinois State University
The “Old Main Project” was recently launched on the campus of Illinois State University: http://oldmain.illinoisstate.edu/. This campus archaeology and oral history project is dedicated to exploring the history of “Old Main,” our first university building that was razed in 1958. This project continues what we hope is a growing trend on university campuses, which demonstrates the relevance of archaeology for understanding a university’s past (see Skowronek and Lewis 2010). Our campuses are not just composed of current buildings but also a buried past lying just below the landscaped quads. Our own university thinks that nothing remains of Old Main, so it has been important for us to demonstrate that the building still exists as an archaeological site and in the memories of the alumni who attended the university when Old Main was still used.
A steam tunnel excavated across the quad in the 1980s revealed that much of the entire first floor of Old Main still exists; and a salvage excavation in front of the backhoes uncovered intact foundations and cisterns filled with trash. One interesting find, revealed by Keith Barr (1983) who wrote a thesis on these excavations, is that there were many alcohol bottles deposited in the cisterns between about 1917 and 1930 despite the fact that the time period overlaps with Prohibition and our campus and town were officially “dry” until 1973. We have tracked down the 70 plus boxes of artifacts from the 1981 excavation and our graduate student, Jessica Griffin, is currently analyzing some of this material for her Master’s thesis on consumer choices, commodity networks, and social relationships.
Besides the analysis of material remains and documentary evidence of Old Main, we have also been collecting oral histories from people who attended or worked at the university while Old Main was still standing. Some of our eldest interviewees attended the University in the mid-1930s. We have precious little time left to document their memories of life on campus during these years. Their stories bring Old Main to life and highlight aspects of Old Main and the campus that are often obscured in historical accounts. Many of our interviewees’ tales, for example, take place in Old Main’s hallways, stairwells, and verandas—important spaces of college courtship and camaraderie, but ones that rarely appear in the University’s official historical record. The oral history interviews help us to interpret the archaeological record and inspire topics for further research. By recognizing their experiences, we also honor former members of the extended campus community.
The Old Main Project involves the university administration, alumni services, faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and the local community. The Project provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to learn research methods and processes by conducting investigations within their own university community. While many undergraduate anthropology students come to the discipline with a fascination for faraway “exotic” peoples and ancient “cultures,” the investigation of a dynamic local society and university history helps students unpack problematic notions of culture and tradition. In addition, we find that students develop a deepened sense of engagement with the university as they investigate the collegiate lives and concerns of their academic predecessors.
The “archaeology of us” and the study of the recent past is an important way that archaeologists can demonstrate how our skills are relevant to topics important to the university and other communities.
References Cited:
Barr, Keith. 1983. The Old Main Site (11-M1-107): Archaeological Explorations of the Illinois State Normal University Building. MS Thesis, Illinois State University
Skowronek, Russell, and Kenneth Lewis . 2010. Beneath the Ivory Tower: The Archaeology of Academia. University of Florida Press, Gainesville
