Fall 2023

This is the webpage for the Fall 2023 Archaeology Methods and Lab course. We will update it will information throughout the fall term. Check out our Weekly Field and Lab summaries for updates on the new methods we learned, like survey, electrical resistance, mapping, and excavation!


Our project this year is the Seccombe House Music Hall, Carleton’s oldest building. Briefly, Seccombe House was built in 1866 as a private residence, used by Carleton students from 1880 – 1916 as a Music Hall, and moved off its foundations to a nearby neighborhood in 1916, where it is currently used as faculty housing. We plan to locate the original foundations (near Skinner Memorial Chapel) and learn more about early campus life at Carleton.

Be sure to check out detailed historic informational about Seccombe House, our excavations, and various student projects. These include studies related to:

  1. Rev. Charles Seccombe and his family (including a documentary movie)
  2. The changing use and ownership of the Seccombe land plot over time
  3. Early buildings on Carleton’s campus
  4. Seccombe House after it was moved off campus
  5. The evolution of Music Studies at Carleton and
  6. The daily life of a Carleton student in the late 19th century

Please enjoy navigating the various pages related to Seccombe House Music Hall and check out the pages of past years’ projects!