Anthropology and Geography

Students working in the Archaeology Lab, weighing an artifact on a scale

Archaeology Lab

The Archaeology Lab was established in 2011 in order to accommodate research conducted by archaeology faculty and their students.


The Archaeology Lab is currently being used to rehabilitate, record, and analyze an assemblage recovered from the Vanoli site with the support of the State Historical Fund of Colorado. The Vanoli site formed part of the red light district in Ouray, Colorado, and was excavated in the 1970s and 80s by Steven Baker, owner of Centuries Research, Inc. Each year, students enrolled in the graduate seminar on Historical Archaeology record and analyze artifacts from the collection as the basis of their final projects (approximately 32 students, total) which is intended to provide them with hands-on training in the analysis of historical materials. In addition, four students have used the collection as the basis for their Master’s theses, and undergraduates (18 total) have conducted practicum and independent studies.

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  • Equipment & Software

    • Drying racks
    • Fume hood
    • Sinks
    • Standard archaeological lab equipment

  • Collections

    • Two collections of artifacts and faunal material from Ouray, Colorado, are currently stored in the lab: an assemblage of over 50,000 artifacts from the Vanoli site (5OR30) a late 19th and early 20th century red light district, and a small assemblage from an early 20th century site (5OR68) in Slytown, a residential neighborhood in Ouray.

  • Publications

    • Gensmer, Kristi (2012) Of Painted Women and Patrons: An Analysis of Personal Items and Identity from the Vanoli Site (5OR30) in Ouray, Colorado. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists.
    • Horobik, Heather (2011) Exploring Issues of Health and Privacy in Ouray’s Red Light District: Medicine Bottles from the Vanoli Site. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists.
    • Knee, Alexis (2012) Material Culture, Social Networks, and the Chinese of Ouray, Colorado, 1880-1920. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists.
    • Simon, Rebecca (2012) Educating the Future with the Past: Bringing Archaeology to Ouray Schools. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists.
    • Simon, Rebecca (2012) How to Clean a Soiled Dove: Educational Opportunities with the Vanoli Project (5OR30). Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Archaeological Society.
    • Woodard, Morgan (2011) The Effects of Market Proximity on Fare Served at Working Class Establishments in Historic Colorado. Poster presented at the CURC.