Yesterday we held a reception celebrating the opening of a new lab and the partnership with a local business that made it possible.
Check out some television news coverage from last night.
Hurt and Profitt, a Lynchburg engineering and surveying firm, frequently encounters archeological artifacts in the course of its work. Such artifacts need to be identified and assessed so that appropriate decisions can be made about whether the site merits preservation or excavation, whether the project needs to be moved, and whether other steps should be taken with regard to research or preservation.
Sweet Briar students and faculty are analyzing the artifacts uncovered by Hurt and Profitt, cataloging and describing them, and providing the appropriate reports back to the company and also to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Students are learning good archeology, getting hands-on experience, and providing a meaningful service to a local business.
For me, this project is exemplary because it illustrates the way in which the liberal arts both benefit from and contribute to important and practical work as well as the ways that a thriving academic community and a thriving business community can create value through collaboration. And besides, it’s just fun to find out about what is being dug up around here!
