Wisdom sets bounds even to knowledge. —Friedrich Nietzsche
Fast Facts
- Industrial archaeology faculty members serve on the boards of professional and scholarly organizations and have won awards for their publications.
- Michigan Tech offers one of the few industrial heritage and archeology programs in the world.
- Michigan Tech’s Archaeology Laboratory supports the processing, documenting, and cataloging of artifacts from field excavations.
Learn more: Industrial Heritage and Archeology (PhD)
Graduate Programs in Industrial Heritage and Archeology
Industrial archeologists record, interpret, and preserve industrial and engineering-related artifacts, sites, and systems in their cultural and historical contexts. Industrial archeology generally applies to the study of industry since the Industrial Revolution, and it can include sites as old as seventeenth-century iron forges or as recent as twentieth-century steel mills.
Our interdisciplinary approach fuses archeology, historic preservation, the history of technology, material culture, the history of architecture, and anthropology. Hands-on fieldwork, archeological surveys, and excavation—as well as architectural, historical, and archival research—reflect the emphasis upon the material remains of industry.
The MS in Industrial Archaeology prepares students for careers in cultural resource management firms or for additional academic study. Students pursuing the PhD in Industrial Heritage and Archeology explore and interpret the history of industry, work, and the associated material culture.
This program is characterized by interdisciplinary study, an emphasis upon material culture, and projects of scope and complexity. Research topics include the rise and decline of industrial facilities, the environmental consequences of past industrial developments, and heritage-related tourism, among others.
Learn more: Industrial Heritage and Archeology (PhD)