• UNL
• Department of Anthropology
• Faculty
• Demers

Department of Anthropology

Faculty

Dr. Paul Demers

Ph.D Michigan State University, 2001

Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Office: 818 Oldfather Hall
Email: pdemers2@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-8872
Fax: (402) 472-9642

Subfield:

Archaeology

Major Research Interests:

Historical archaeology (emigrant trails, fur trade, and military sites), CRM education, borders and frontiers, ethnohistory, utopian and communal societies.

Recent Publications and Reports

Demers, Paul A. (in preparation) The Archaeology of Borders and Frontiers. (The American Experience in Archaeological Perspective Series) University Press of Florida.

Demers, Paul A. (In Press, December 2010) "The Beaver Creek Crossing Trail Crossing Site (25SW49): The Archaeology of a Nineteenth Century Road Ranch Along the Nebraska City Cut-off Trail." Central Plains Archeology 12(2).

Demers, Paul A. (2009) "Crestspeak": British Military Crested Ceramics, Military Socialization, and Collective Memory. International Journal of Historical Archaeology 13(3):366-384.

Demers, Paul A. (2009) "Conflict, Accommodation, and the French Colonial Legacy of the Canada-United States Border in Eastern North America, 1650 - 1783". French Colonial History 10: 35-54.

Demers, Paul A. , and Laura McClatchey (eds.) (2008) Report on the Archaeological Investigations of the Boundaries of the Lewis-Syford House, Lincoln, Nebraska. Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (54 pp)

Demers, Paul A. (co-edited with Andrew LaBounty and Katherine Lamie) (2007) Report on the 2006 Archaeological Excavations at the Beaver Creek Trail Crossing Site (25SW49), Seward County, Nebraska. Report on file with the Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Demers, Paul A. (co-edited with Nolan Johnson and Erin Dempsey) (2006) Archaeological Investigations at the Beaver Creek Trail Crossing Site (25SW49): A Preliminary Study of the Site and Artifacts Recovered in the 2005 Field Season. Report on file with the Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Grants:

National Parks Service Challenge Cost Share Program Grant for Archaeological Investigation of Nebraska's Historic Trails ($30,000)
UNL Libraries Digital Research in the Humanities Fellowship ($15,000)
UNL Layman Award: Research on Nebraska's Historic Trails ($10,000)
UNL Research Council Faculty Seed Grant: ($10,000)

Current Projects:

Digging In: The Archaeological Study of Nebraska's Historic Trails
This is a multiyear research project initiated Dr. Paul Demers, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Geography, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The project will map, document, and interpret the dynamic patterns of frontier life along surviving portions of Nebraska's historic overland trails. Trails such as the Oregon and California, Mormon, Fort Kearny, and Pony Express routes demonstrate the complex web of social, commercial, military, and religious interests pouring into the west. Inevitably, these trails were the conduit for travelers encountering Native American groups, permanently altering the cultural and natural landscapes of the west. The archaeology of historic trails is a relatively new focus within archaeology. While previous archaeological projects have addressed various aspects of trails, there is no systematic body of theoretical and methodological information and approaches to this rich historical resource. This project explores trails as a unique set of remains reflecting activities such as transportation, migration, settlement, and responses to new cultural and natural environments. Predictive models of trail layouts stemming from this project can be tested and refined in other areas. Such models can also serve as a useful tool in strategic planning and regional management plans for protecting and interpreting these precious resources for research and public presentation.
Please visit our website: Digging In: The Historic Trails of Nebraska

Recent Honours:

French Colonial Historical Society W.J. Eccles Prize Finalist (Best Article: Junior Scholar-2008)
UNL Student Organization "Rookie Advisor of the Year" (2003 & 2004)
UNL Student Organization "Advisor of the Year" (2004)

Recent Presentations:

2009 "Delighted with the Whole Days Amusements": Adaptation and Accommodation along Canadian and U.S. Frontiers and Borders." Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario

2006 "The Archaeology and History of Emigrant Trails" Archaeological Association of America (AIA Omaha Chapter Spring Lecture).

2006 "Nebraska's Historic Trails" Preservation Association of Lincoln. NETV recorded presentation airing on the Government Access cable channel.

2006 "Digging In: The Archaeological Study of Nebraska's Historic Trails." Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California

Recent Organized Symposia:

"Military Ceramics: Economics, Socialization, and Collective Memory" Luncheon Roundtable, Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario.

"The Archaeology of Historic Trail Systems: A Rut You Want To Get Into." Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California.

(with Douglas Scott) Plenary Session: "Lewis and Clark: Legacy and Consequences." Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri.

"A Most Lucrative Trade From This Source: Trade and U.S. Identity, 1780-1860". Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri.

Professional Service:

Committee Member: Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board (2007- present)
Committee Member: Society for American Archaeology Committee on Annual Meetings (2003-2007)
Executive Member: Oregon and California Trails Association Archaeology and Preservation Committee (2005-present)
Committee Member: Association for Borderlands Studies Curriculum Committee (2004- present)
Committee Member: Society for Historical Archaeology Meetings Committee (2004- present)
Program Coordinator: Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Conference (2004)
Faculty Advisor: University of Nebraska Anthropology Students Association (2002-2007)

Educational Background:

Ph.D. Michigan State University, 2001
M.A. Michigan State University, 1994
M.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988
B.Sc.H. Trent University, 1986

Courses Taught:

(Visit my Peer Review of Teaching (PRTP) Web Portfolios for Historical Archaeology)

ANTH 110: Introduction to Anthropology
ANTH/CLAS 252: Archaeology of World Civilizations
ANTH 272: Introduction to Historical Archaeology (Web Portfolio)
ANTH/RELG 370: Religion and Reform: Communal and Utopian societies
ANTH 435/835: Introduction to Heritage Management Archaeology
ANTH 437/837: Borders and Frontiers in Anthropological Perspective
ANTH 487E/887E: Analysis of Archaeological Materials-Historic Material Culture (Web Portfolio)
ANTH 498/898: Topics in Historical Archaeology (Web Portfolio)

Archaeology Field School:
ANTH 290& 291: Laboratory and Field Work in Archaeology
ANTH 490/890 & 491/891: Advanced Fieldwork and Laboratory Work in Archaeology

Current and Former Graduate Students: