HEARTH

HEARTH (Hand-crafted, Experiential, Archaeological Research and Teaching Hub)

HEARTH offers the opportunity for students to participate in a wide variety of research and praxis-oriented activities related to historic preservation and cultural revitalization through craft. 

Students collaborating in the HEARTH experience will have the opportunity to study the deep historical relationships between people, technology, and the environment through the application of experiential and experimental archaeology.  Through guided research projects and public facing workshops, students will help generate knowledge about the complex interfaces between people and technology. Simultaneously, students will gain practical skills that can be directly applied in the workplace and in graduate school. These skill sets include independent research and problem solving, oral and written communication, public relations, and confidence. More specifically, student researchers will participate in one or more initiatives central to HEARTH’s mission. Potential topics include historic preservation carpentry, blacksmithing, stone age technology, bushcraft, open hearth cooking, wood-fire oven baking, traditional food processing/production, fiber arts, and craft school programming and outreach. 

At HEARTH we are committed to public engagement. The HEARTH experience goes beyond producing knowledge for knowledge's sake. Students learn to make the past relevant for a myriad of publics using hands-on activities and workshops where the students learn from experts, hone their skills, and then they become instructors. The HEARTH experience prepares students to be the story-tellers and problem solvers of tomorrow.