The Archaeology Club participates in Professor Luley’s ceramic workshop. (Photo Courtesy of Heather Fusco)
By Brandon Fey, Assistant News Editor
GCAC Logo (Photo Courtesy of Heather Fusco)
The Gettysburg College Archaeology Club (GCAC) is one of the newest student organizations on campus that has been active since the beginning of the spring 2024 semester. This club strives to connect students who are interested in archaeology, regardless of their prior knowledge or experience with the subject. It holds weekly meetings where members take part in archeology discussions and participate in workshops and events related to several aspects of the discipline. Despite its recent creation, the Archeology Club has already had a strong impact on campus.
Anthropology major and Archaeology Club President Heather Fusco ’24 founded the club after she noticed the lack of a setting for students to discuss archaeology beyond the classroom. In addition to those with anthropology majors or minors, Fusco has also sought to appeal to students who are curious about archaeology but may not be able to pursue it in the classroom.
As president, she has already led the club through several activities and events, including a multi-week ceramics workshop held by Anthropology and Classics Professor Benjamin Luley. As part of this program, club members learned a variety of ancient techniques for making decorated ceramics. These included the coil method and black gloss technique, which participants applied to their own pieces of pottery.
Gettysburg Archaeology Club board members. Back row, L-R: Erin Feckete, Treasurer; Tierney Cantwell, Social Media Manager; and Heather Fusco, President. Front row, L-Rt: Caitlin Petersen, Senate Representative; and Fiona Cheyney, Vice-President. Not pictured: Avery Torres, Secretary. (Photo Courtesy of Heather Fusco)
“I’m really happy that I was able to start this club on campus,” said Fusco. “Though I am graduating this semester, I’m glad I was able to leave something behind for all of the Gettysburg College students who are as interested in archaeology as I am!”
In addition, the Archaeology Club has also hosted a visiting scholar from China, who gave a presentation on her archaeological research to club members in April. Following this, Fusco worked with the club to support her public archeology class by administering a public booth displaying items excavated from the remains of Hopkins House, which originally stood in front of Pennsylvania Hall on campus. Fusco plans for the club to be further involved with the ongoing Hopkins House excavations in the future.
The Archaeology Club has also provided opportunities for its members to further engage with the club, as several have been encouraged to give presentations on topics of their interest pertaining to archeology. Club participants have also had the opportunity to meet with archaeologists at the Gettysburg National Military Park, who have hosted additional workshops for the club. The executive board is currently working to arrange volunteer opportunities at the park for club members over the next academic year. The club concluded the semester with a trip to the State Museum of Pennsylvania to visit its renowned archaeology section.
Reflecting on her leadership this semester, Fusco stated, “Archaeology is something I’m really passionate about and will hopefully be making a career out of. I learned so much about archaeology through my classes and the opportunities I was a part of at Gettysburg College, which really helped me to grow. I hope that GCAC may eventually be something that also helps others grow, as well as may serve as inspiration for members to go into the field of archaeology.”
The Archaeology Club during a weekly meeting (Photo Courtesy of Heather Fusco)
