New Connecticut State Archaeologist in Place

Summary from Next Connecticut State Archaeologist Announced

Dr. Brian D. Jones began as Connecticut State Archaeologist in July. He follows retiring State Archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni, who has held the position since 1987, and retires in August after a transition period.

Dr. Jones has been working in the archaeology field for over 24 years, most recently as Senior Archaeologist with Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. in Storrs, Connecticut. He received his undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Oberlin College in 1986. After living and traveling in Southeast Asia, he studied European prehistory at the University of Cologne, Germany. He returned to the U.S. in 1992 to complete his Ph.D. at UConn, Storrs. Brian was the Supervisor of Field Archaeology at the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation between 1998 and 2004, after which he worked at Archaeological and Historical Services. In 2008, he took the position of Associate Director of UMass Archaeological Services in Amherst. Brian has also taught as an adjunct in the Anthropology Department at UConn since 2004. His primary research focus is the archaeology of northeastern Native American cultures. His dissertation explored human adaptation to the changing climate at the end of the last Ice Age. He is also experienced in geoarchaeology (the relationship of archaeology to landscape and soil formation processes) and stone tool analysis.

[pull_quote_center] “While the position has many interesting responsibilities, what I look forward to most is working closely with the public and continuing to raise awareness about the importance of Connecticut’s ancient and historic past. The traces of peoples’ lives are abundant beneath our feet, but they are fragile, and the only way to guarantee their preservation is through sincere public interest, ” said Dr. Jones.[/pull_quote_center]

Dr. Jones’s responsibilities include cultural resource preservation and reviews of economic development proposals to assist municipal governments, responding to land manager and general public inquiries, state-wide site visits and field reviews, salvage archaeological field work and the collection of archaeological materials, and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies. Dr. Jones will be an Assistant Extension Professor in UConn’s Department of Anthropology, providing teaching and academic services in his area of expertise. As State Archaeologist, Dr. Jones will also assist the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center staff in planning archaeological exhibits and programs and curate the University of Connecticut’s anthropological collections. Additionally, he will also provide public education throughout the state.

Summary from Next Connecticut State Archaeologist Announced