<p>My daughter is interested in Archaeology and is considering Pitt. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with the Pitt Anthro/Arch. program? Pros? Cons?</p>
<p>The Carnegie Museum is across the street from the university. It has one of the best dinosaur collections in the world. Pitt also has land in Wyoming and I think it is used for the archeology program. I read something about it some time back–not quite as convenient as the museum.</p>
<p>Archaeology falls under Anthropology and is one of four concentrations in that major.</p>
<p>[Undergraduate[/url</a>]</p>
<p>The department offers a summer field study school. </p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.anthropology.pitt.edu/undergrad/fldsch.html]Field”>http://www.anthropology.pitt.edu/undergrad/fldsch.html]Field</a> School](<a href=“http://www.anthropology.pitt.edu/undergrad/index.html]Undergraduate[/url”>http://www.anthropology.pitt.edu/undergrad/index.html)</p>
<p>There also seems to be a lot of research you could get involved with.</p>
<p>[New</a> in Pitt Archaeology](<a href=“http://www.pitt.edu/~pittanth/grad/southasiaarch.html]New”>http://www.pitt.edu/~pittanth/grad/southasiaarch.html)</p>
<p>I don’t know anyone involved tho so i can’t give any inside info.</p>
<p>As far as paleontology, the land Pitt owns in Wyoming that was mentioned above is the Allen Cook Spring Creek Preserve, which is 4,700 acres of what is one of the most dinosaur fossil-rich preserves in the world. See stories about it here in [Washington</a> Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080800983.html]Washington”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080800983.html) and [Pittsburgh</a> Post-Gazette](<a href=“http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07175/796785-115.stm]Pittsburgh”>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07175/796785-115.stm). The Carnegie Museum, essentially on Pitt’s campus, has the the world’s largest collection of Jurassic dinosaurs and the third largest collection of mounted, displayed dinosaurs in the United States. It has a very active paleontology department that is closely affiliated with the university (many adjunct appointments and vice versa). </p>
<p>Perhaps the most famous, and important site, was the excavation of the [Meadowcroft</a> Rockshelter](<a href=“http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft.aspx]Meadowcroft”>http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft.aspx) by Pitt archeologists (although now the research is continued by Mercyhurst College in Erie as the archeologist who led the excavation at Pitt now resides there as it is geographically closer). The site is important because if its dating to 16,000 to 19,000 years old is correct, it pre-Clovis era and possibly the oldest known Native American site.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. We’ve scheduled a visit for Saturday the 31st. Pitt seems to be working it’s way up D’s list! I believe that she’ll leave an application when we visit. Now if they’ll just come through with some merit aid!</p>
<p>If Archeology is interests her, check out Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa.</p>
<p>The colleges are completely different, night and day. If she wants to go to a bigger school with alot going on, Pitt is the obvious best choice.</p>
<p>If she is interested in a smaller, private setting, Mercyhurst is great. Their Archeology program is top notch and they have a couple world experts on their faculty. They also have a program called Forensic Archeology or Forensice Anthropology that is very interesting.</p>
<p>Like I said, two completely different schools, but if she’s really interested in that field Mercyhurst would be worth a look, at least check it out online.</p>
<p>BIGeastBEAST, thanks for the info. We’ll definitely do that. I’ll check and see how far Erie is from Pittsburgh and see if we can work that into our trip. Thanks again.</p>
<p>The trip from Pitt to Mercyhurst is about 2 hrs.</p>
<p>It’s a straight shot down I79 North, get off at I90 East, then take your second exit (Casino Exit, and turn North to the lake). Mercyhurst is on East 38th Street.</p>
<p>It’s a small school, about 4,000 students, private. While it’s small, there are multiple other colleges nearby (Penn State Behrend, Gannon, Edinboro) and it actually creates for a good college environment. Downtown Erie has changed alot and is fun for a youngester.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Mercyhurst College is one of the top programs in the country for this stuff. One of their professors (I believe his name is Dirkmat) is a pioneer in the field and is considered one of the worlds leading experts. He gets called in to do forensics at major incidents (TWA 800, 9/11) and the program is very respected.</p>
<p>I second that Mercyhurst is good for archeology. It’s definitely worth looking into. James Adovasio is also there, he led the Pitt excavation of Meadowcroft Rock Shelter in the 70s before moving there.</p>