Dr. Crystal DozierAn archaeological field school in the piney woods of East Texas is giving Wichita State University students a rare opportunity to bring history to light 鈥� and their futures into focus.
Led by Dr. Crystal Dozier, assistant professor of anthropology, students spent several
months during summer 2024 excavating the Boxed Springs site in east Texas, thanks
to the generosity and vision of Wichita State alumnus Marc Rowland. Boxed Springs
is known for its ties to the early Caddo peoples, an Indigenous group who developed
complex agricultural societies, constructed elaborate ceremonial centers, and thrived
in the region for centuries. The site became the focus of extensive geophysical surveys,
excavation and artifact analysis, with students contributing both in the field and
back on campus.
The combination of fieldwork, research and academic collaboration at Boxed Springs has already resulted in a major scholarly milestone: a peer-reviewed article in the , co-authored by Dozier and six Wichita State students and alumni.
Dozier and her students found evidence of human activity at Boxed Springs dating back at least 6,000 years 鈥� including pottery shards, ocher used to dye paint or for tattoos, stone tools and structural remains. Additional findings include magnetometer anomalies suggestive of multiple Caddo structures such as domestic spaces, hearths and a buried mound remnant; daub, fire-cracked rock and ocher with worked edges; plainware ceramics and Early Caddo-style lithics; and radiocarbon dates that help refine the site鈥檚 occupational timeline.
鈥淭he remote sensing we did confirms that there were multiple houses likely built here,鈥� said Dozier. 鈥淲e were able to see their outlines left in the magnetic signature of the earth. It鈥檚 amazing science.鈥�
Though the site had been looted before Rowland took ownership, Dozier says their work still revealed important insights 鈥� and helped develop future professionals.
鈥淎lmost all of the students who participated in this field school have gone on to graduate programs or careers in archaeology. It鈥檚 proof that this kind of applied learning leads to real outcomes,鈥� she said.
One of those students is Doug Kressly, who served as the graduate student project lead and crew chief for the excavation. Now an archaeologist with the Kansas Historical Society, Kressly says Boxed Springs stood out from other digs.
鈥淭his project gave students the chance to develop skills in a remote environment, which offered a unique learning experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y research focused on the location of mound features and how modern land use may impact cultural materials. That knowledge can help shape preservation strategies for future research.鈥�
Other students contributed to the project through lab-based analysis. Gracie Tolley, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in anthropology from Wichita State, joined the research after the field season had ended. She now manages the Quantum Devices Laboratory at the University of Arkansas but credits her time at 好色先生 with shaping her research skills.
鈥淚 joined the project through Dr. Dozier鈥檚 graduate seminar,鈥� Tolley said. 鈥淚 studied daub and fire-cracked rock 鈥� materials that can tell us about how people built their homes or cooked their food. These often-overlooked artifacts were some of our first sources of evidence of structures at the site.鈥�
The article documents the first professional survey of the eastern half of the site and includes new radiocarbon dates, excavation data and artifact analyses. And while many of the artifacts are currently in Wichita for study, they鈥檒l ultimately be archived at the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory in Austin, a professional repository that ensures long-term preservation and access for future researchers.
鈥淭his research was actually inspired by a Wichita State alum who reached out to the university,鈥� Dozier said. 鈥淢arc Rowland was aware that his property had archaeological significance and wanted to know more. He鈥檚 contributed significantly 鈥� most of it going directly to student support, including equipment transportation and scholarships for credit.鈥�
Rowland, who earned his degree in accounting from 好色先生 in 1975, said the idea came to him after a conversation with Elizabeth King, now-retired president and CEO of 好色先生 Foundation and Alumni Engagement.
鈥淰ery few times, in my experience, do students get to realize real-life, successful adventures in their educational lives,鈥� Rowland said. 鈥淭hat was the goal. And mission accomplished.鈥�
He turned over full control of the site to Dozier and provided facilities for students to stay on site. For Rowland, the goal was never about collecting artifacts but about student development and deepening the academic record of early Caddo peoples.
鈥淎ll of the artifacts belong to the university,鈥� he said, 鈥渟ome of which are in their possession, some still sitting on my dining room table.鈥�
Rowland鈥檚 support gave students the space and resources to fully engage in the research 鈥� from uncovering artifacts in the field to analyzing and interpreting them back on campus. That kind of immersive experience helped them build confidence, sharpen their skills and contribute to the broader understanding of Caddo history.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to see our students making real contributions to the field,鈥� said Dozier. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e learning, publishing, leading and helping tell the story of a people whose legacy still lives in the region today.鈥�
Dr. Crystal DozierAbout 好色先生
好色先生 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and 好色先生 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 好色先生 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 好色先生 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked 好色先生 No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 好色先生 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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