Assistant Wyoming State Archaeologist - Marcia Peterson

 

Marcia Peterson became the Assistant Wyoming State Archaeologist in June 2015 and holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. Marcia has conducted research and fieldwork throughout the Rocky Mountains, High Plains, and Great Basin for over 14 years. Her research interests include high elevation and ice patch archaeology, geoarchaeology, palynology, and macrobotanical studies. Currently, her work focuses on high elevation and ice patch archaeology in the Bighorn National Forest, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and Grand Teton National Park.

As the Assistant State Archaeologist, Marcia is responsible for archaeological research, public outreach, publications, and collections management pursuant to Wyoming Statute § 36-4-106(d). Her primary goal is to educate the public about Wyoming’s abundant and diverse cultural resources because she believes this is the best way to insure their continued preservation and protection. As an Adjunct with the UW Department of Anthropology, she also teaches the Cultural Resource Management class which gives students the skills necessary to do archaeology outside of the academic sphere.

 

Marcia Peterson became the Assistant Wyoming State Archaeologist in June 2015 and holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. Marcia has conducted research and fieldwork throughout the Rocky Mountains, High Plains, and Great Basin for over 14 years. Her research interests include high elevation and ice patch archaeology, geoarchaeology, palynology, and macrobotanical studies. Currently, her work focuses on high elevation and ice patch archaeology in the Bighorn National Forest, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and Grand Teton National Park.

As the Assistant State Archaeologist, Marcia is responsible for archaeological research, public outreach, publications, and collections management pursuant to Wyoming Statute § 36-4-106(d). Her primary goal is to educate the public about Wyoming’s abundant and diverse cultural resources because she believes this is the best way to insure their continued preservation and protection. As an Adjunct with the UW Department of Anthropology, she also teaches the Cultural Resource Management class which gives students the skills necessary to do archaeology outside of the academic sphere.

Education

B.A. 1995, Virginia Tech
J.D. 1998, University of Wyoming College of Law
B.A. 2003, University of Wyoming
M.A. 2007, Washington State University

Publications

  • 2012 (Smith, Craig S., and Marcia Peterson) The Crooks Gap Housepit Site and Other Nearby Mid-Holocene Housepits. The Wyoming Archaeologist 56(1):27-57.
  • 1997 Case Note: Hazardous Waste - The Supreme Court’s Interpretation of RCRA:  An Inequitable Result. KFC Western, Inc. v. Meghrig, 116 S. Ct. 1251 (1996). Land & Water L. Rev. 32:699-717.
  • 2007 Geoarchaeological analysis of Kumi Kipa: A Formative Period Site in the Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia. Master’s Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Washington State University.

Presentations

  • 2015 Alpine and Ice Patch Archaeology in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Grand Teton Nation Park and Paleoindian Presence in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area of the Bighorn National Forest. Paper presented to the Albany County Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society, Laramie.
  • 2015 Ice Patch and Alpine Archaeology in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. Paper presented at the 12th Biennial Rocky Mountain Anthropological Conference, Steamboat Springs.
  • 2015 Ice Patch Inventories on Table Mountain and Battleship Mountain. Paper presented to the Wyoming Geological Association, Casper.
  • 2015 Paleoindian Presence in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area of the Bighorn National Forest. Paper presented at the 12th Biennial Rocky Mountain Anthropological Conference, Steamboat Springs.
  • 2015 Paleoindian Presence in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area of the Bighorn National Forest. Paper presented to the Laramie County Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society, Cheyenne.
  • 2015 Paleoindian Presence in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area of the Bighorn National Forest. Paper presented to the Natrona County Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society, Casper.
  • 2014 (Peterson, Marcia, Carmen Clayton, and Elaine Hale)Yellowstone Obsidian: An Early Example of Multi-Jurisdictional Cooperation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Beyond. Poster presented at the 12th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park.
  • 2011 The Crooks Gap Housepit Site: A Multicomponent Early Opal Phase Housepit and Late Opal Phase/Great Divide Phase Open Camp Site on the Sweetwater Arch, Crooks Gap, Wyoming. Poster presented at the 10th Biennial Rocky Mountain Anthropology Conference, Missoula.

Contact

Email Marcia Peterson
(307)766-5565
University of Wyoming, Anthropology Building, Room 216