Lawson Chair of Canadian Archaeology
Archaeology, the scientific study of past cultures through the analysis of artifacts and the context in which they are found, is the primary method of documenting and understanding the history of human diversity. By understanding the full range of past human experience -- including social organization, environmental impact, communication methods and societal change -- we can appreciate our current state and build stronger communities in the future.
A Permanent Endowment
The Lawson Chair of Canadian Archaeology was established at the University of Western Ontario in 1984 by the late Colonel Tom Lawson. In order to fully endow an Academic Chair, Western must secure $2.5 million in private sector support. Currently, the amount of the endowment fund stands at $1 million. Consequently, Western is committed to raising $1.5 million to permanently endow the Lawson Chair of Canadian Archaeology.
The Chair is a joint appointment shared by Western's Department of Anthropology in the Faculty of Social Science and the Institute for Research in Ontario Archaeology at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology. The Chair will participate in graduate teaching and research in the area of bioarchaeology -- designated an area of strength in the strategic plans of the Faculty. The holder of this Chair will contribute to the field of Canadian archaeology through the following:
- Teaching -- contribute to curriculum development at the undergraduate level, conduct graduate-level seminars, and supervise and advise thesis and dissertation research.
- Research -- develop and conduct major original research and excavation programs in the archaeology of Southwestern Ontario that will involve graduate and undergraduate students, other faculty members and the Museum of Ontario Archaeology; guide faculty research activities that may lead to the development of innovative programs.
- Community Involvement -- work closely with the community to develop a means of disseminating research results that may include participating in lecture series that are open to public and academic audiences; serve as a resource for a variety of local and regional community institutions such as primary and secondary schools, police forces, coroners and forensic investigators, First Nations communities and cultural resource management firms.
Why Western?
The Department of Anthropology maintains five laboratories for the purposes of teaching and conducting research in biological anthropology and archaeology. In conjunction with these laboratories, the Chair will have access to the following resources:
- An extensive collection of fossil casts and artifactual comparative samples including a 2,000 year old Egyptian female mummy donated by the Royal Ontario Museum; a widespread collection of Ontario archaeological materials held in both the Department of Anthropology and the Museum of Ontario Archaeology.
- Highly regarded faculty members in the Department of Anthropology including seven biological anthropologists and archaeologists, four of whom have extensive backgrounds in Ontario research.
- The facilities, collections and personnel at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology -- affiliated with Western, this unique Canadian museum is devoted to the study, display, and interpretation of the human occupation of Southwestern Ontario over the past 11,000 years.
- Archaeological recording equipment and field supplies including surveying, excavation and photographic equipment.
- Processing and analytical work space as well as X-ray, thin-section preparation and casting facilities.
- State-of-the-art computer facilities featuring an array of instructional, statistical, graphical, mapping, word-processing and database management programs.
A Legacy of Teaching and Research
Academic Chairs are a university's primary means of attracting and retaining distinguished faculty members to continue the legacy of multidisciplinary teaching and research at Western.
With support from the private sector, it is expected that the level of research activity generated by the Lawson Chair of Canadian Archaeology will distinguish Western and the Museum of Ontario Archaeology as leaders in archaeological research and teaching.
