The Bourbon Archaeologist: Heritage and Community in Kentucky
February 1, 2017
Hosted by Dr. Joseph Schuldenrein
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Guest Information
Episode Description
In 2016, the Buffalo Trace Distillery hired Kentucky archaeologist Nicolas Laracuente to lead an excavation of the remains of a late-19th century production facility buried and long forgotten underneath the floor of the active distillery. Dubbed the “Bourbon Pompeii,” these largely intact structural remains offer a unique glimpse into the heritage and history of bourbon production in Kentucky. Laracuente, in addition to his official job with the Kentucky Heritage Council, volunteers much of his time to the Jack Jouett Archaeology Project-a public archaeology and oral history program- and to excavations of farm and abandoned distilleries around the state. Emphasizing the importance of tailoring research to regional interests and history, Laracuente’s work provides a template for the efficacy of archaeology to local communities. Listen in as Dr. Schuldenrein and Laracuente discuss Bourbon Pompeii and Laracuente’s extracurricular work as the self-styled Bourbon Archaeologist.
Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality and 21st Century Archaeology
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
This show targets an audience interested in archaeology. It explores myths surrounding this exotic, often misunderstood field and acquaints listeners with the contemporary practice of unearthing the human past. Themes range from Dr. Schuldenrein’s own “Indiana Jones”-like adventures in the land of the Bible to his team’s archaeological forensics effort to unearth Kurdish mass graves in Iraq. That undertaking helped convict Saddam Hussein in 2006. Topical issues contribute to the evolution vs. creationism controversy based on updated fossil records and innovative DNA studies. An episode highlights the main funding source for archaeology in the U.S. (Hint: the oil and gas industry). Experts reveal the latest high-tech approaches to buried archaeological landscapes that provide clues to understanding climate change, past, present and future.
Dr. Joseph Schuldenrein
Joseph Schuldenrein is president and senior scientist of Geoarcheology Research Associates (GRA) in Yonkers, New York. He has been a Visiting Scholar at New York University since 1996. His professional expertise is in geoarchaeology, a sub-discipline that introduces earth science techniques to traditional archaeological excavation. Joe has worked extensively across North America and the Old World. He received his doctorate in 1983 at the University of Chicago. Recent research in North America has concentrated on the urban archaeology of New York City and Native American landscapes of the Atlantic Coast. Joe’s projects in South Asia have ranged from Human Origins investigations to the beginnings of civilization of the Indus Valley. During the Iraq war Dr. Schuldenrein’s team helped direct a forensic archaeological mission in support of the Saddam Hussein prosecution. His newest venture is an assessment of Cultural Heritage Sites in war-torn Afghanistan (2011). Dr. Schuldenrein publishes widely in numerous archaeological and geological journals. He is a reviewer for American Antiquity, Geoarchaeology, and Quaternary Science Reviews. He has acted as Principal Investigator or Consulting Scientist for grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, Wenner-Gren, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Aegean Prehistory. Dr. Schuldenrein has been interviewed for PBS, as well as national and regional TV and radio outlets over the past 30 years.
Episode Directory
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
- 2/15/2017: Catastrophe and Collapse: The Mediterranean World in the Late Bronze Age Listen Now
- 2/8/2017: Recent Advances in Southeastern Archaeology Listen Now
- 2/1/2017: The Bourbon Archaeologist: Heritage and Community in Kentucky Listen Now
