Center for Applied Archaeological Science (CAAS)

CAAS has completed projects for private, state, and federal organizations, including CH2M Hill, Intermountain Gas, J.R. Simplot Company, Kinross Mining Company, Eagle-Pitcher, Ecologistics, Inc. (Canada), J-U-B Engineers, P.S.I. Inc, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Army National Guard, and the U.S. Air Force. Cultural Resource Reports are published by the Center for Applied Archaeological Science.

Hemingway Center

CAAS is located at 1910 University Drive,  Hemingway Center, within the Department of Anthropology at Boise State University. CAAS also maintains a large Storage Facility on Federal Way in Boise. Laboratories include approximately 3,000 square feet of space with adjacent offices for a GIS station and senior staff.  Equipment storage includes 1,500 square feet of secured space.

Laboratory Facilities

The CAAS laboratory has extensive space for artifact and materials analysis and artifact storage, a full range of basic laboratory equipment including binocular and petrographic microscopes, digital scales and calipers, and microphotographic equipment.  Additionally, The CAAS laboratory is fully equipped with high-speed desktop and laptop computers that support technical, database, and geospatial and statistical programs including ArcInfo, ArcMap, and ArcGIS software.

Office Facilities

CAAS has a full compliment of software to perform most computer-related operations with staff who have extensive experience in word processing, data management, GIS analysis, graphic design, and display and report production.  Additionally, CAAS has access to computer labs and research facilities across the campus and within the Department of Geosciences GIS Laboratory.

Field Equipment

CAAS owns a wide range of field equipment in quantities that allow the simultaneous conduct of survey and excavation projects.  This includes technical equipment such as transits, total stations, GPS units, and high-resolution digital cameras. CAAS also maintains a complement of excavation tools, 1/8″ mesh hard-wire screens including backpack screens for rugged terrain investigations, 3-meter augers, wheelbarrows, a full range of hand tools, and camp and kitchen facilities to house crews up to 25 persons.

CAAS is committed to meeting the time requirements of its service contracts.  In accordance with this commitment, CAAS broadly integrates conduct of its field data collection, analysis, and reporting so as to ensure the prompt completion of projects.

CAAS conducted several cultural resource surveys in 2006-2007 including surveys of Black Hawk and Red Ridge Mountains near Cascade Idaho, and the M3 Development Project near Eagle, Idaho.  In addition,  CAAS completed a four-year study of site 10-CN-6,  a Late Archaic site (2,000-250 B.P.), located on the Snake River, near Melba, Idaho. Recent field investigations include a  second year “Native American Field School” conducted in cooperation with the United States Air Force, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and excavations at 10-EL-110, located near Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho, Cow Creek in southcentral Idaho, and a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp near Nyssa, Oregon.

Cheryl Anderson

Bioarchaeologist

Mathematics Building, Room 137B
Call: (208) 426-3241
Email: cherylanderson300@boisestate.edu
Cheryl Anderson’s Profile

About

Cheryl holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research focus is in bioarchaeology and she is particularly interested in the impacts of social inequalities on human health and violence through the examination of human skeletal remains. Her main geographic areas of focus have been in Turkey and the greater American Southwest. She has co-edited two volumes on bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology case studies of violence.

Allison Wolfe

Zooarchaeologist

Hemingway Center, Room 114
Call: 208-426-3059
Email: ewolfe@boisestate.edu
Allison Wolfe’s Profile

Mark Plew

Director Emeritus

About

Mark Plew holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Indiana University.  His research interests focus on the behavioral ecology of hunter-gatherers.  He has conducted more than 150 archaeological and ethnographic projects throughout North and South America and in Australia.  He has authored more than 300 books, monographs, journal articles, and technical reports.  During the past 25 years, he has had primary responsibility for numerous cultural resource management projects in Idaho and surrounding states.  Dr. Plew is an Emeritus Professor at Boise State University.  Since 1986, he has served as Coordinator of the Center of Applied Archaeological Science.

Linda Reynard

Assistant Research Professor

ERB 5151
Call: (208) 426-3651
Email: lindareynard@boisestate.edu
Linda Reynard’s Profile

Research Interests

• Stable Isotope Geochemistry
• Radiocarbon Dating
• Development of Isotopic techniques for environmental, ecological, and migration research questions (past and present).

Research Lab

Stable Isotope Laboratory

Email: anthropology@boisestate.edu
Call: (208) 426-3023

Mailing Address

Boise State University
Department of Anthropology
1910 University Drive
Hemingway Center, Room 113
Boise, ID 83725-1950

The Center for Applied Archaeological Science is located in the Hemingway Center, located to the east of the Albertsons Library. The CAAS offices are located at the east end of the building. The Hemingway Center was built in 1941 by the Works Progress Administration and was originally known as the Assembly Hall. Boise Junior College graduations were held there every Spring from 1942 until 1955. In 1953 the Cunningham Memorial Organ was installed. It currently houses the Department of Anthropology, offices of the Hemingway Writers Series, art and English classrooms, art history offices, the Idaho Center for the Book, and Visual Arts Center Gallary 2.