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University of Wyoming
Marcel Kornfeld

Marcel Kornfeld
Professor and Director, Frison Institute
Archaeology

BA 1974, University of New Mexico
MA 1982,University of Wyoming
Ph.D. 1994, University of Massachusetts
anpro1@uwyo.edu • (307) 766-3548 • Anthropology Bldg 240

 

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, I spent my early years vacationing among Roman ruins of the Adriatic, stumbling among medieval castles or their ruins around Zagreb, and nearly fell into Veternica Cave soon after its discovery! Perhaps this predisposed me to the past.

Now I pursue my research interests through a number of archeology projects investigating Paleoindian occupations and human adaptations to Plains, Foothills, and Mountainous areas of the western United States. Specific sites and projects include: Plains and Mountains Paleoindian Study-focusing on Hell Gap and Agate Basin sites, as well as the high mountain "parks" of Colorado; and Closed Site Archeology-focusing on human use of rock shelters-when, why, and how do humans use closed sites. Recently I have been planning joint projects and expeditions with colleagues from Russia and Argentina in the Russian Far East, Argentina, and Wyoming (for more information on international interests, see the George C. Frison Institute).

On the personal side, I enjoy road trips, mountain biking and hiking in the summer, and cross country skiing in the winter. I also enjoy automechanics--especially working on air cooled VWs, Types I and II. Other hobbies include chainsaw wood sculpturing.
 

Courses Taught:

5180            Advanced Archeological Field School
5015            Theory and Method in Archeology
4150/5150   Paleoindian Prehistory Seminar
4150/5150   Archaic Prehistory Seminar
4120/5120   North American Prehistory
4125/5125   Plains Prehistory

 

Recent/ Selected Publications:

Books:

Mary Lou Larson, Marcel Kornfeld, and George C. Frison (editors). Hell Gap: A Stratified Paleoindian Campsite at the Edge of the Rockies. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City. (in press)

Marcel Kornfeld, Sergey Vasil'ev, and Laura Miotti (editors). 2007. Prs du bord d'un abri: Les Histoires, Thories et Mthodes de recherches sur les abris sous roche/On Shelter's Ledge: Histories, Theories and Methods of Rockshelter Research. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 1655. Oxford, England.

Kornfeld, M. and A. Osborn (editors) 2003, Islands on the Plains: Ecological, Social, and Ritual Use of Landscapes. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Kornfeld, M., 2003, Pull of the Hills, Landscape Archaeology and Great Plains Foraging Economy. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 1106, Oxford, England.

M. Kornfeld, G. C. Frison, and M.L. Larson (editors), 1995, Keyhole Reservoir Archeology, Glimpses of the Past from Northeast Wyoming, Occasional Papers on Wyoming Archeology No. 5. Laramie, Wyoming.

M. Kornfeld (editor), 1991, Approaches to Gender Processes on the Great Plains, Plains Anthropologist Memoir 26.

M. Kornfeld and L. C. Todd (editors), 1985, McKean - Middle Plains Archaic: Current Research, Occasional Papers on Wyoming Archeology No. 4. Laramie, Wyoming.

M. Kornfeld and J.E. Francis (editors), 1984, South Pass City: Changing Perspectives of a 19th Century Frontier Town, Occasional Papers on Wyoming Archeology No. 3. Laramie, Wyoming. 
 

Research Interests:
cultural evolution, forager subsistence--specifically plant and small animal resources, technology--especially chipped stone tool remodeling strategies, regional distributions archeology, archeology of gender, peopling of North America and Paleoindian prehistory, archeology of closed sites, field methodsespecially computerized data collection

 

Press releases:

 

OTHER LINKS: