Turning an archaeological practice on its head In a new book, Megan Kassabaum challenges the field to take a forward-looking approach, rather than one that looks backward. She does this through the study of a Native American architectural feature called platform mounds.
Archaeologists often spend a career studying a single site, region, or time period, building on the field’s previous research and interpretations. But some, like Penn’s Megan Kassabaum, take a wider view that spans both time and geography by focusing on understanding widespread practices. Since arriving at Penn, Kassabaum has focused on tracking the long history of Native American platform mounds in the eastern United States.