Women In Archaeology
March is Women’s History Month, and there are many women who advanced the field of American Archaeology, but they are often overlooked and marginalized due to archaeology being a male-dominated field. Historically, women were portrayed in domestic or supportive roles, like being the wives of archaeologists, despite actively participating and contributing to their husband’s research. Historic frameworks often prioritize males “expectational leadership,” while overlooking or downplaying the contributions of women. However, women persisted and resisted this notion. Between 1907 and 1935 the Department of the Interior granted less than ten Antiquities Act permits that were issued to female applicants. Regardless of the lack of opportunities that were presented, women like Frederica de Laguna, Katharine Bartlett, Winifred Gladwin, Florence Hawley Ellis, Louise Parcher, and Dorothy Keur persevered with their own independent research with these Antiques Act permits.
Frederica de Laguna (pictured right) was the first woman to be granted an Antiquities Act Permit from the Department of the Interior in July 1930. de
Laguna conducted extensive field reconnaissance in the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. She completed her doctoral thesis through the University of Pennsylvania on Upper Paleolithic and “Eskimo” (Inuit and Yupik) art. In 1933, de Laguna received the first Ph.D. in archaeology granted to a woman by the Anthropology Department of Columbia University. It is speculated that her thesis may be the earliest completed by a female archaeologist in the United States.
Theresa A. Singleton is an African American woman who focuses on the archaeology of African Americans, slavery, and plantation life. In 1980, Singleton became the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in historical archaeology and African American history and culture from the University of Florida. Singleton began her research by studying the Gullah-Geechee of coastal Georgia. In 1991, Singleton worked as an associate curator of historical archaeology for the Smithsonian Institution. In 2014, she became the first African American to be awarded the J. C. Harrington Award for her lifetime of contributions to the discipline centered on Scholarship.
Our Metric team is 53% women, and we celebrate Women’s History Month with gratefulness to the women that blazed the trail in archaeology before us. Their contribution to the field of study is remembered, recognized and we solute them with much respect.
Zoe Lawton will be presenting at the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Conference May 14-17th. She will be speaking on the title: Echoes of Indiana Avenue: Jazz, Urban Renewal, and the Intangible History.
Purdue Road School
Every year we look forward to attending the 2025 Purdue Road School Transportation Conference and Expo. The history of Purdue Road started back in January 1913, with W. K. Hatt, head of the School of Civil Engineering. Hatt issued a call for a Civil Engineering Conference to cover the needs of county surveyors and city engineers. Roads and streets were 
heavily involved, and a similar conference was held in 1914 at which a resolution was passed which called for a provision in the laws of Indiana that there be a yearly “School of Good Roads”. In 1915, the name of the Civil Engineering Conference was changed to the Purdue Road School.
This year, our very own Amy Noel, PWS and Zachary Root, Certified Arborist, were able to present under the Urban Planning Track with a presentation title of Navigating Urban Forestry Requirements for Road Projects. We’re proud of Amy and Zach for achieving recognition in their area of technical leadership.
Summer Internship!
We are accepting applications for the 2025 Summer Internship Program! This summer we are looking for students interested in Cultural Resources (Archaeology). It’s a 10 Week Paid Summer Internship Program (May 17 – August 8, 2025). We’re looking for candidates with a positive attitude and who are eager to learn. Metric interns must embrace a flexible mindset and be adaptive to a variety of tasks and projects. If you’d like more information or want to download our information flyer, click the button below.
What Does Teamwork Mean To You?
One of the great things about teams is that when you win, you have friends to celebrate with and when you lose, you have a shoulder to cry on. Promoting the value of being a good teammate is innate to how we view ourselves. Here, we expect the primadonna to learn to be comfortable serving others.
Kenneth Beache, PE, CPESC, President/Senior Engineer