Scotti Norman Featured in Archaeology.org Magazine
Alexandra Gore | September 6, 2023
Warren Wilson College (WWC) archaeology professor Scotti Norman’s research is featured in the upcoming September/October issue of archaeology.org’s magazine.
Norman digs into her discovery at the Chicha-Soras Valley of Peru where she, alongside a team of Peruvian and American archaeologists, excavated houses, private patios, a central plaza and the underneath of a church constructed during the Inca period. Artifacts found at the site reflected evidence of Taki Onqoy’s resistance against the Spanish clergy during 16th-century Spanish colonization.
Maya Bartleson
Scotty Norman with her feature in archeology.org magazine.
When she was first approached by the popular magazine, Norman felt hesitant. Being a guest on the South American land, she worried that her article would carry colonial undertones. As someone who studies colonialism, she knew she had to approach it with care.
“I told them I would only do it if somebody who spoke Spanish interviewed me so that they could also interview my co-director and my Peruvian colleagues,” Norman said. “I also wanted it really to be about the research and movement instead of the narrative of the dig itself.”
Outside of the contents of the feature, Norman said that she has a personal connection to the magazine. As a kid, her grandpa subscribed to the magazine for her, telling her that one day, he would see her in it. He unfortunately passed away while she was working on research for the feature, but she pridefully describes it as a full-circle moment.
Norman began her archaeological journey in northern Chile. There, she gained her interest in working in South America, where she has done work since 2007. Along the way, she worked at field schools teaching aspiring archaeologists how to excavate in the field. She joined the WWC faculty in Fall 2022.
“For me, there’s no better feeling than watching a student uncover something, and being so excited about that thing,” Norman said. “I wish that everybody could feel that way, sometimes.”
WWC’s campus features a dig site, the Warren Wilson Site, which can be traced back from 1000 to 1400 CE. Norman feels apprehensive about naming the site as though our campus owns it. She appreciates the reconciliation between the human remains found on the site and their respective Cherokee tribes, but she acknowledges that it does not take the college off the hook.
This fall, Norman fully took over the Archeology crew, and her influence spread like wildfire.
Sean Politte, a sophomore at WWC, has been on the Archaeology Crew for three semesters, where he has worked closely with Norman and other crewmates.
“I’ve had a really growing admiration working with Scotti and learning from her,” Politte said. “I’ve taken an interest through our research at Boyd Cabin site, and she’s really encouraged me to explore that more myself.”
Matt Vosler, a professor in the Outdoor Leadership department at WWC, describes how Scotti has made WWC a comfortable place for him as more than an educator:
“She’s the type of friend that a person like me really needs to have in this world,” Vosler said. “Somebody honest, open, somebody who cares deeply, and somebody who’s willing to share but also leave that at the door when it’s necessary.”
Looking forward, Norman outlined some steps she wants to take toward making archaeology more collaborative and accessible on WWC’s campus. For starters, she is in the process of working with WWC’s librarian, Brian Conlan, to include accurate archaeology books in the main library’s catalog.
The crew is planning to create a full three-dimensional model archive in WWC’s library. Politte mentioned that he is excited about future students having the opportunity to interact with the items the crew gathers.
“You look at university and museum collections, and they’ll have pictures of all their artifacts and display cases, but there’s not a lot of full 3-D models of every artifact gathered," Politte said. “That’s the kind of thing that will take us years to do, but it will be really cool.”
Being part of the Archaeology Crew is not the only way students can get involved with archeology on campus. Norman encourages any students interested in doing excavation to come out to the site and work for a day to experience what that process actually looks like. She is also excited to introduce a new study abroad program to WWC focused on archaeology.
“I’m working with Eric Griffin, who’s in forestry and ENS, to plan a study abroad program called Archaea-ecology,” Norman said. “We would take a group of students to Ecuador to spend time in the highlands working with some indigenous farmers there and looking at archaeological sites.”
The archaeology lab is located in Jensen Room 215. The crew is working on renovating the space, and the new lab is planned to be open to students by October 2023. Norman welcomes all students who are interested in learning more about archaeology to email her with any questions.
