This two-part documentary series directed by Emerson Neczek focuses on the inadvertent discovery of a forgotten cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. SURF student Emerson Neczek explores how the cemetery was discovered on the grounds of an elementary school in the heart of the city and how 51���� archaeologists and school administrators turned the solemn occasion into a positive learning experience. Join us as we learn about the early history of Milwaukee and how archaeology can connect us with the past!

Part 1

Part 1 focuses on how 51���� archaeologists were able to integrate their research into the Maryland Ave student’s curriculum through interactive activities aimed at teaching students about archaeology and local history.

Follow the link for Part 1 of the Maryland Ave documentary:

Part 2

Part 2 focuses on the history revealed from the archaeological investigations of the cemetery found on the Maryland Avenue Montessori grounds. 51���� ARLC staff discuss the origins of the cemetery, who may have been buried there and how it connects to the early history of the city of Milwaukee.

Follow the link for Part 2 of the Maryland Ave documentary:

The post New Release: Digging Into History at Maryland Ave. Archaeological Documentary appeared first on Anthropology.

Call for Submissions

Try your hand at producing a prehistoric/early historic fermented beverage from any time period/geographic area using archaeologically/historically attested plants as hops substitutes!

On Saturday April 25, 2026 from 5:00-7:00pm in the Honors College (HON 196), 3363 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211 the Hortus Academicus/Brew Garden initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will hold a tasting competition with three judges choosing the top three brews, all of whom are professionals associated with local businesses involved in brewing, dispensing, and/or reporting on fermented beverages.

The judges for 2026 are: Jerry Janiszewksi (Wisconsin Historical Foundation Board of Directors, Old World Wisconsin Historic Brewhouse Consultant), Daniel Kern (Head Brewer at Water Street Brewery), Rob Novak (Director, Old World Wisconsin Brewing Experience). There will also be a People’s Choice award with non-contestants casting their votes via ballot for their favorite brew. Joe Yeado has generously agreed to offer the winner the opportunity to brew their beer using the pilot brewing system at Gathering Place in River West with a launch party at GP to follow.

Any brews with archaeological/historical pedigrees are welcome (i.e., based on specific finds or documentary evidence for a particular Nordic grog, medieval gruit, or other beer) but feel free to experiment. We’ll also be asking all entrants to provide a grain bill/recipe as well as a few images presenting the story of their entry in the form of a short PowerPoint. Check out past entries at and

How to Enter

Specifications

Batch size should be at least 2 gallons; 5 gallons preferred (bottles, barrels, homebrew kegs all OK).
A list of approved ingredients is provided below, but feel free to use any food-safe historically or archaeologically attested ingredient:

1. Any Old World or New World grain or equivalent (i.e., maize) (if you’re really adventurous, consider trying something like spelt, buckwheat, or millet).
2. Any yeast strain (feel free to try something new). Choices include traditional brewing strains, wine strains, bread strains, Norwegian kveik strains, or mixed cultures featuring any combination of brewing yeast, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and/or any other microorganism found in traditional fermentations.
3. Any type of additional sugar (honey, fruit juice, bottling sugar or whatever you fancy – just keep track of your additives!).
4. Bittering/flavoring options (combinations are fine but less may be more with some of these plants). Plant ingredients can be added in dried or fresh form in a mesh bag directly to the wort during the boil, just before the end of the boil or as a prepared tisane/“tea” with the plant ingredients strained out before adding to the brew.

Suggested Plant List for Old World Brews

(For New World inspiration see recent Field Museum experiment with pepper berries; chocolate/caco nibs are also an option). Some of these plants are available from the Hortus Academicus/Brew Garden on the Honors College grounds. If you are interested in using anise hyssop, mugwort, mint, or thyme in your brew, please email
barnold@uwm.edu.)

• Alecost/Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)
• Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
• Betony (Stachys officinalis)
• Carrot/wild carrot (Daucus sativus/carota)
• Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Mint (Mentha spp)
• Rue (Ruta graveolens)
• Sweet Gale or Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
• Yarrow (Achillaea millefolium)
• Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
• Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)
• Bog cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris)
• Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
• Juniper (Juniperus communis)
• Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)
• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
• St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
• Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
• Bog myrtle (Myrica gale)

The post Calling All Brewers! 51����’s 5th Unhopped Iron Brewer Challenge is Now Accepting Submissions appeared first on Anthropology.

A recent 51���� InFocus article written by Sarah Vickery spotlights Anthropology and Museum Studies alum, Cassie Coffey. Cassie is the Director of Playful Experiences at the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, Illinois. Cassie discusses how her experiences at 51���� shaped her career and how hard work and curiosity guided her path to success.

This anthropology alum’s work is (literally) child’s play

The post Latest 51���� InFocus spotlights Anthropology alum, Cassie Coffey appeared first on Anthropology.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, has forever changed the way museums collect, interpret, and care for Native American items. This free, virtual lecture will provide a brief overview of the law, how MPM works with the US government and Native groups, and the ways that NAGPRA has impacted MPM’s collections, exhibits, and programs.��������

Link to Zoom registration: ������

The post Free Virtual Lecture: “Returning to the People: How the MPM works with Indigenous groups to bring their history and ancestors home” appeared first on Anthropology.

The Milwaukee Society of the Archaeological Institute of America is hosting a free, public lecture this Sunday, Oct. 19th entitled, “Diving the Pyramids: Underwater Tombs and Excavation at the Royal Cemetery of Nuri, Sudan” presented by Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman (American Center of Research, Amman, Jordan).

See flyer below for more information!

Creasman Lecture (AIA, Oct 19)

The post AIA Lecture Series, Diving the Pyramids: Underwater Tombs and Excavation at the Royal Cemetery of Nuri, Sudan appeared first on Anthropology.

Navigating Profound Uncertainty: Jewish Photography in Nazi Germany

This talk explores how German Jews used private photography to record and interpret their lives under National Socialism. Drawing on a database of some 15,000 images, it examines how these photographs documented daily experiences and reflected Jewish responses to escalating antisemitic measures. The analysis treats photographs as narrative tools that conveyed emotions, beliefs, and expectations. This approach reveals new insights into German Jews’ self-perceptions and strategies for navigating a time of profound uncertainty.

Ofer Ashkenazi is Professor of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and current George Mosse Visiting Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research explores German-Jewish cultural history, Jewish experience under Nazism, migration and political activism, and the memory of Nazi violence. His recent books include the monographs Still Lives: Jewish Photography in Nazi Germany (2025, with Rebekka Grossmann, Shira Miron, and Sarah Wobick-Segev) and Anti-Heimat Cinema: The Jewish Invention of the German Landscape, 1918–1968 (2020), as well as the edited volume Rethinking Jewish History and Memory through Photography (2025, co-edited with Thomas Pegelow-Kaplan).

Event Link: /jewish-studies/event/ofer-ashkenazi-navigating-profound-uncertainty-jewish-photography-in-nazi-germany/��

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On April 30^th, UW-Milwaukee student Emerson Neczek led an archaeology curriculum event at Maryland Avenue Montessori School (Milwaukee Public Schools). This even was part of Emerson’s Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) project.

Several 51���� Archaeological Research Laboratory Center staff members were on hand to assist with the event. Students were shown how archaeologists map sites, categorize artifacts, and introduced to archaeological tools. In addition, students were shown how archaeologists and historians learn about the past through material culture and documentary evidence. The students even spent time investigating the history of their school and the surrounding Milwaukee neighborhood.

Thanks to 51����’s SURF program and to the Maryland Avenue Montessori School, and to Emerson for pulling it all together!

The post 51���� Student Emerson Neczek Leads Archaeology Event at Maryland Avenue Montessori School appeared first on Anthropology.

Anthropology student researchers were well-represented at this year’s 51���� Student Research Symposium. Anthropology students presented 17 papers and posters this year. Topics included Human and Animal Osteology, Mapping, Museum Studies, and Archaeology overseen by six faculty and staff.

Noelle Wallisch won an Outstanding Presentation Awards for her paper, , mentored by Professor Jean Hudson.

You can see a full list of this year’s Anthropology Participants, .

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The ASU Symposium on April 5th was a great success! Seventeen students presented on their research with the addition of our keynote speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Briody, who talked about career readiness in the anthropological field. Many other subjects were presented including, mortuary and general archaeology, anthropology in spooky contexts, portrayals of gender and sexuality, and three poster sessions about various topics. ASU would like to say a big thank you to Dr. Elizabeth Briody as well as all the presenters.

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