UWEC’S INTERNATIONAL FELLOWS PROGRAM IN ISRAEL: A TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS

During June/July 2014, four undergraduate students actively participated in an intensive three week geoarchaeological and geomorphic field research campaign in northern Israel. The program was significantly funded by the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire’s International Fellows Program (IFP) for Research, Service, and Creative Activity. The program capitalizes on the strength and success of high impact academic experiences and recently won the prestigious Heiskell Award from the Institute of International Education. The presentation will outline details of one funded project in Israel that investigated nine sites in Northern, Israel including: Tel Akko, Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, the Holy Cave, Bethsaida Excavations, Kursi, Magdala Excavations, Tel Regev and Meditterean Sea coastal dunes. We collaborated with several partner institutes including the University of Hartford, University of Nebraska Omaha, Drew University, University of Connecticut, University of Haifa and the Technion. At each site, various geoarchaeological methods were taught and used to aid in better understanding the archaeological and/or geomorphic sites. The methods included ground penetrating radar (high frequency) to image the subsurface internal stratigraphy in a noninvasive manner, GPS and topographical (laser level) surveys to provide locational data for surveys, drone imagery and archaeological databases, and field XRF analysis to provide clay pottery provenance. Selected examples from the projects will be highlighted.