Coming Soon…

  • EWC Archaeology & Anthropology Symposium [Summer 2026]
  • EWC Archaeology Museum [Opening soon…]

* Stay tuned for more information about these events.

A sunset over rolling hills, with orange and yellow rays lighting the sky. In the foreground, an EWC plastic-covered rectangular area bordered by wood and a white canopy tent are set up on grassy terrain.

Degree Plan

Students of archaeology and anthropology wishing to earn an Associate’s Degree will follow the general degree plan for an AA in Social Science, but will follow an Anthropology Track, which includes all of the Introductory Anthropology courses (Cultural, Biological, and Archaeology) as well as Museology and Physical Geology. Students of archaeology are also recommended to take the Summer Archaeology Field School to have an experiential advantage toward further education.

Program Description

The Archaeology and Anthropology program at Eastern Wyoming College is an experiential program that gives you an advantage over students at larger schools. The program is built around hands-on learning with a focus on methods and techniques using the most up-to-date technology. Our students have access to real archaeological sites, a working archaeology lab, internship opportunities with our numerous industry and business partners, and even a museum for learning how to design and create exhibits.

Unlike most four-year schools, our introductory courses offer small class sizes to ensure that you have one-on-one attention that is crucial for learning the fields of anthropology. Our two-year program culminates in a versatile Associate of Arts degree in Social Sciences, allowing students flexibility in transferring to a bachelor’s degree program.

Our archaeology/anthropology track fulfills the first two years of requirements for most four-year programs. We also offer a comprehensive six-credit field school in the summer that attracts students from colleges and universities all over the country.

Join the EWC Archaeology/Anthropology family and get a head start on your future career!


A circular ancient stone structure partially excavated, with EWC tarps and a pink crate covering parts of the floor, surrounded by rubble and overgrown vegetation outside the walls.
Four people stand in a partially dug EWC archaeological site on a hillside, surrounded by tools and buckets, with a building and trees visible in the background under clear skies.

Archaeology is the study of human cultures of the past. Archaeologists collect data from the material remains left behind by human activity to reconstruct past cultural behavior and life ways. Fields of archaeology include Classical Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Geoarchaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, and Museology. Job opportunities in archaeology in Wyoming include Cultural Resource Management for private firms or for the BLM, National Park Service, etc.

A deep rectangular EWC excavation pit with a metal ladder leading down inside. Wooden planks line the edges, construction materials surround the site, and a tarp partially covers the area overhead.

Public Archaeology

Concurrent with the Archaeological Field School in the summer, we have a number of public archaeology programs. These include Archaeology Days, in which school or civic groups can participate in workshops, tours, activities and even excavations at Sunrise Mine.

An old, red EWC vintage fire truck with a worn exterior is parked indoors. The truck has a fire extinguisher on the side, a long wooden ladder on top, and large wheels with striking red spokes.

Workshops and Activities

We offer several workshops and activities year-round to enhance the educational experience for our outreach participants. These can include atlatl (spear-thrower) instruction and practice, artifact identification, flintknapping, potterymaking, and lab methods. Workshops and programs can be geared toward elementary and high-school levels, or they can take the form of community education classes.

Several rustic, red-roofed buildings are nestled among green trees and grassy hills, with the EWC campus blending into a forested hillside that rises in the background under a cloudy sky.

Community Archaeology

In addition to courses, workshops and activities, we can also provide talks or programs to your groups. We like to include the entire community in our efforts. Contact us for more information at showard@ewc.wy.edu.

Contact

Steven Howard, PhD

Program Director - Archaeology

View Profile