PhD in Anthropology-Historical Archaeology in Detroit United States | Wayne State University

Wayne State's archaeology program is the department's most enduring specialization, with the Anthropology Department gaining global recognition for its expertise in this field. The archaeological focus was initiated in 1957 by Professor Arnold Pilling (who additionally founded the Museum of Anthropology in 1958). A. R. Pilling in 1964 Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, prior to the emergence of cultural resource management and associated laws, Dr. Pilling, alongside faculty peers and Wayne State students, carried out numerous surveys and digs across southeastern Michigan. Pilling's 1960 investigation of the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company site in Detroit represented one of North America's earliest professional urban historical archaeology initiatives. In 1967, Pilling became a charter member of the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA). The tradition of Dr. Pilling's publicly engaged scholarship and community-oriented research persists in the current work of our faculty and students.