Southern Oregon University
SOU’s Archaeological Lab
The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is an on-campus archaeological firm that connects culture, history, and place in a meaningful way. We conduct grant and contract funded research that includes archaeological investigations, zooarchaeological analysis, public history, GIS mapping, and more.
We serve the interests of our university and community and we select projects in partnership with private, local, state, federal, and Tribal organizations in ways that meet our collaborators’ needs and such that the resultant data become a source for expanded research and public education.
SOULA regularly works with students from all backgrounds and majors that benefit from hands-on experiences in fieldwork, laboratory analysis, conference presentation, writing, and career networking. Students participate in both lab and field projects, and field schools are regularly offered.
Current Field School
Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project
Public Archaeology and Remote Sensing
July 1 – 26, 2024
This field school is an intensive four week, 4-credit course (ES 408) where students participate in archaeological investigations as part of the award-winning Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project.
Professional Services
SOULA offers a range of professional services to help agencies and our community partners comply with federal and state regulations. SOULA has conducted dozens of archaeological excavations and has experience complying with Oregon’s state guidelines for best practices. SOULA has a reputation for producing high quality reports in a timely manner, and translating the results of these investigations into public outreach.
Projects
Learn more about SOULA projects and award-winning collaborations – including, the “Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project”, the “Underground History with Chelsea Rose” JPR podcast, and the “Tragedy at Tunnel 13” 100th anniversary commemoration.
SOULA in the Media
SOULA regularly works with a variety of media on our projects in an effort to share the adventure and our findings with the public. The following is a selection of the types of projects and collaborations we have worked on over the years.
Online Resources
SOULA has partnered with the SOU Hannon Library to create digital resources that can be used by scholars and the public alike, including the world famous “Jim Rock Historic Can Collection” and the “Chinese Material Culture Collection.”
Meet the Team
Meet the archeology team at the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology. SOULA’s diverse team members range from anthropologists, archeologists, historians, and educators who are all passionately dedicated to the study of culture, history, and place.
