Research Interest
archaeology education, heritage, public engagement and communication, ritual and religion in archaeology, material culture of religion, sacred spaces, Gallo-Roman archaeology
Katherine M. Erdman is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in archaeology education and the archaeology of religion and ritual. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2014. Her dissertation, “Engaging the Intranatural at the Source of the Douix (Côte-d’Or, France): Objects, Communication, and Ritual in a Fluid Environment,” explored the ritual language offerings develop when deposited in sacred spaces. Specifically, she examined the variety of offerings Iron Age and Gallo-Roman peoples deposited into springs in Gaul, how people selected objects because of their ability to communicate particular meaning to their gods, and how this ritual language varies across the landscape. After finishing her Ph.D., she worked and volunteered for a variety of education-based organizations. Her current research focuses on archaeology education, heritage, and public engagement.
Education:
Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Minnesota, 2014
M.A. Anthropology, University of Minnesota, 2012
B.S. Anthropology, Classics, Grand Valley State University, 2007
Books
2019 (editor) Public Engagement and Education: Developing and Fostering Heritage Stewardship for an Archaeological Future. New York: Berghahn Books.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
In press K. Yezzi-Woodley and K. M. Erdman. “Connecting students to archaeology by connecting archaeology to core content in K-12 schools.” Journal of Archaeology and Education. [accepted February 2021]
2019 K. M. Erdman and B. Chaume. “Tracing 2000 Years at the Source of the Douix, Côte-d’Or, France: Water, Offerings, and Recurrence.” Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 85: 307-330. https://doi.org/10.1017/ppr.2019.13
2018 “Small Finds from Springs and Baths, Similar or Different?” Thermae in Context, the Roman bath in town and in life. Actes du colloque de Dalheim, Luxembourg, du 21 au 24 février 2013. Archaeologia Mosellana 10, edited by H. Pösche, A. Binsfeld, and S. Hoss, 245-265.
Book Chapters
2019 “Opening a Dialog: Bringing Archaeology to the Public.” In Public Engagement and Education: Developing and Fostering Heritage Stewardship for an Archaeological Future, edited by K. M. Erdman, 1-17. New York: Berghahn Books.
2019 “Archaeology for a Lifetime: Reaching Older Generations through Adult Education Programs.” In Public Engagement and Education: Developing and Fostering Heritage Stewardship for an Archaeological Future, edited by K. M. Erdman, 186-211. New York: Berghahn Books.
ANT 231 Frauds and Fallacies in Archaeology
SOC/ANT 201 Social Science Research Methods
SOC 212/ANT 285 Food and Society
