Dr. Julie K. Stein is executive director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and Anthropology from Western Michigan University and earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota. She has been published numerous times and is the author of multiple books about shell midden sites of the Northwest Coast.
What area do you work in/what is your field of study?
My specialty is Geoarchaeology. That combines both archaeology and geology, and in my case, I study the sediment that covers and buries the artifacts. Asking questions such as – where the sediment came from and how did thousands of years of burial alter the chemistry of the artifacts.
My dissertation focused on sites adjacent to rivers, and people who collected shellfish out of those rivers. Sites with shell are called shell middens (or shell mounds), but are more appropriately called shell deposits. The Archaic Shell Mounds of the Green River, Kentucky was the project and we were all examining the origins of agriculture in the Eastern Woodlands. When I was offered a faculty position at the University of Washington, I switched to examining the Native American living sites located in the San Juan Islands, which were also shell middens.
Besides Washington and Kentucky States, I have worked on excavations in Michigan, Greece, Arizona, Belize, Hawaii, and on historic sites at Monticello, Virginia and Fort Clatsop, Oregon.
What do you like most/what is most interesting about your job?
I like to solve the puzzle hidden in the dirt of an excavation. Many archaeologists focus on the artifacts, however, the layering, the grains, and weathering fascinates me.
What kinds of jobs are there in this field (for example, where or who can you work for)?
Geoarchaeologists are in demand for field studies especially in Cultural Resource Management, when developers are building something that will destroy an archaeological site. The geoarchaeologist helps determine the size of the site and where the highest probability of artifact might be. Every project benefits from such expertise, and cannot always can find a person who can do the work.
How do you think archaeology/anthropology is being brought into the modern age?
Excavation and exploration use more technology everyday – mapping tools, spreadsheets, and remote sensing gadgets. I think more of these inventions will appear, and just hope they become affordable.
As a woman, what challenges have you faced in this field?
When I started in archaeology men were assumed to be in charge, and women were often expected to work in the lab. As a geologist, I had to be at the excavation digging and in charge of where the holes were dug. I looked for people who were in charge of the excavations who would let me do my fieldwork. My dissertation research was led by a woman, Patty Jo Watson, who not only let me direct the research, but actually helped me do the fieldwork.
Because I worked with women on all my projects, I never experienced the sexual harassment that some women experienced on field projects. This problem is being exposed now, and archaeologists are being held accountable, and students are taught to be aware and to talk. This must stop in archaeology, and all academia (and the world).
How did you first get started in this field and/or what were some of the most important steps or influences on your journey to becoming a scientist in this field?
When in high school the Leakeys were discovering fossil hominids in Olduvai Gorge. Mary Leakey was photographed working in the field. I, therefore, thought that women can do this work, and I wanted to do what she was doing. I did a paper on her in high school, and took archaeology and geology classes the first year I went to college. The most important step occurred during my first field school the summer after my sophomore year. I loved fieldwork and immediately saw the possibility of combining geology and archaeology. At Western Michigan University, my geology professor told me that he thought it might be possible to combine the two, although he (and others) were skeptical about getting a job. He encouraged me to go to graduate school and helped me find programs allowing the interdisciplinary study. My mother told me to continue my dream until the time when I could not pay the bills. That time never came.
Do you think that as we advance in time, we are running out of archaeological ‘discoveries’ (for lack of a better word)? Or, how do you see the future of this field of science playing out?
We will continue to find things forever, as new exposures come to light and new sites are created. This is a geological process of constant burial and erosion. I do not worry about this.
Is it difficult to learn how to find artifacts or dig for them?
It is not difficult, but it requires knowledge about geology to determine where things have been buried, and thus escaped erosion. Finding sites is also related to where people live/hunt/gather/farm, which is related to the resources important to their survival. This all requires study and training. Most people do not know how to find, or even look for, archaeological sites.
What is the coolest thing/artifact you’ve ever found/worked with?
This is a frequently asked question, and impossible to answer. Every time I examine a site and see the dirt encasing an artifact, I think it is the coolest thing ever. The excitement of uncovering the past inspires me.
My Reflection:
First off, as I always say to my interviewees, thank you so much Dr. Stein for answering these questions and participating in my project! It has been so interesting to read her answers and connect with someone who has so much experience in this field. It was really intriguing to interview a geoarchaeologist because up until this point, I have not interviewed anyone who doesn’t focus on the actual artifacts themselves, but the rocks and dirt around them. It’s interesting to see how chemistry can be brought into this field through geoarchaeology, and I’m sure things like carbon dating are included in this, which I also haven’t heard that much about in my interviews, interestingly enough. It was also super cool to read about some of the sites Dr. Stein has worked at! I’d love to one day travel to some of those places or places like that to do this kind of work and excavation! I really enjoyed Dr. Stein’s point about new technologies and them becoming more affordable. I completely agree that technologies should become more affordable and accessible, so I’m glad she mentioned that. I was also really happy to read that her dissertation research was led by a woman, Dr. Patty Jo Watson, and that she was able to help Dr. Stein explore that field without being limited by the sexism that is often found in scientific fields. I also looked up Dr. Watson, and I was really impressed by all her work, especially in the application of ethnography in the field of archaeology, so it’s great that Dr. Stein got to work with her! Finally, this interview has actually been special in an additional way because Dr. Stein is located in Seattle, as am I, and is a director at the Burke Museum, a museum I have fond memories of visiting as a little kid. This has been a really awesome connection to make, so thanks again to Dr. Stein for her amazing answers and for taking the time to help me gain new insights into this field of research.
The Rosalind Project 