By Kiara Craig, November 4, 2025
Anthropology students participated in an excavation of the University Quad to analyze its cultural history through artifacts.
The excavation ran between Sept. 11 and Oct. 30. Students in the archeology method and theory course explored in sample 3.5-meter squares during the nearly three-hour class session once a week. These samples are indicated by a white string grid that some students came in as early as 6 a.m. to set up.
According to David Cheetham, a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Anthropology and the course’s instructor, the purpose of this project is to find patterns of cultural activity through research and excavation in the Quad. Students unearthed more than 1,000 objects, most of them being small items like coins, confetti and nails. These items inform the type of activities occurring in the University Quad over the years.
Students used metal detectors to help identify artifacts deeper in the dirt and placed flags for students to dig after something was found. Following up on the flags, students across four teams used shovels to dig up the items detected.
Cheetham selected the quad for this class because he was thinking of a way to add a practical element to the theory class. While in the seating area in front of Building 5, he looked out at the quad and realized there was a deep history to delve into in front of him.
This is the first time that there has been an excavation in this course, but others have done analyses of items from the University Quad, like garbology studies, which analyze trash to understand modern patterns of disposal.
“I thought it was just going to be a theory class, but it’s good experience to do the digging, the grids and things like that,” said Belen Sanchez, a general anthropology student.
According to Eden Wade, a general anthropology student, this course surrounds a semester-long project. Students develop a research question, participate in archival research, do the excavation and present the findings.
To research the Quad’s history, students used school library to find important cultural events to keep in mind as they dug. As a class, students attended two appointments with Special Collections and Archives to have access to archived editions of The Poly Post, old photos, maps, and yearbooks.
“The quad has remained pretty much untouched since it opened, so this is 50, 60, 70 years of student history,” Wade said.
According to Cheetham, artifacts found during the course will be on display in the geography and anthropology department, with the hope of finding space in the library as well. The findings from these projects will be put into a monograph, which is a written description of the entire project, including the research questions, data and findings.
While the Quad provided a hands-on opportunity for students, Cheetham has his sights set on structures with a longer history for future classes.
Cheetham hopes to have students investigate the pre-university Kellogg buildings. Stretching beyond the time of the Quad, the Kellogg House will be 100 years old next year and could provide an even deeper look into the past for students, Cheetham said.
While Cal Poly Pomona may not share the novelty of the Mesoamerican archaeological endeavors Cheetham has participated in for students on the campus, he finds value in students unearthing the school’s cultural stories.
“It’s their history,” Cheetham said. “They’re part of this. They’re the latest actors in the drama of this school’s culture.”
