What are we trying to learn?

The projects at the Sellman Plantation all fall within the field of environmental archaeology: the study of the relationship between the land and the people who lived on it over time.
-How did people’s interactions with the land shape their cultures?
-How did their cultures shape the land?

Click here to learn more about specific projects our volunteer scientists work on! 

Environmental archaeology is important because it allows us to study the relationship humans had with their surroundings over time. We change the environment to suit our needs, but how might those changes affect our surroundings now and in future years? By learning about the past, we can make better decisions about our land use today.

The study of environmental archaeology is directly in line with the rest of SERC’s mission. SERC scientists are working to understand the environment to promote a sustainable future. Some labs at SERC focus on the reduction of animal habitat or sea-level rise, which are both affected by human activities. Environmental archaeology is different because it looks at history to identify what actions caused certain results.