Center for Archaeological Research marks 50th anniversary with unique challenges and big dreams

A small, unassuming building on Missouri State University’s main campus houses one of its busiest and most far-reaching programs — the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research.

Nicknamed “CAR,” the Center does more than dig for old bones. In addition to its educational, research and public outreach activities, CAR has provided archaeological services to state and local communities since 1975.

CAR is also headquarters to the Missouri Archaeological Society (MAS).

In fact, CAR is the only public research center dedicated to the archaeology of Missouri and the Ozarks, according to its director, Kevin Cupka Head.

Celebrating 50 years

Man sitting at desk — CAR Director Kevin Cupka Head. Photo credit: Lynn Lansdown.

To mark the Center’s fiftieth anniversary, Cupka Head noted that several activities are in the works, including a CAR alumni reunion and a commemorative history to be published on the web and possibly in book form.

In addition, as part of Missouri’s Archaeology Month in September, CAR will hold a public artifact ID day.

“Members of the public can bring in artifacts or curiosities for identification by experts,” Cupka Head said.

Cupka Head hopes the anniversary activities will bring attention to the Center’s “impressive contributions to the archaeology and history of the Ozarks.”

“The MSU community can take pride in and ownership of our role as stewards of over 15,000 years of Missouri history,” Cupka Head said.

Services in demand

Among its services, CAR’s faculty and staff assist government agencies and the private sector in performing cultural resource assessments. Currently, the Center is working on just under 40 active projects and has proposals out for roughly 30 more, according to Cupka Head.

“It’s often a case where we’ll have one or two really big contracts and then a bunch of small to medium sized contracts,” he said.

Most of CAR’s projects are surveys to assess a potential development project. “New sidewalks. A bridge replacement. Larger than that sometimes, such as industrial developments,” Cupka Head explained.

CAR can conduct various geophysical investigations, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry, Cupka Head said. “We can also conduct several specialized laboratory procedures, such as electrolytic rust removal, flotation and the recovery and preparation of C14 samples,” Cupka Head said. CAR evaluates and then makes recommendations as to whether further work is needed.

The Center’s current projects include the Jordan Creek renewal project in downtown Springfield, archaeological monitoring of Boeing’s St. Louis airport expansion project, and numerous transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the state.

Meanwhile, many of CAR’s smaller projects directly serve the Ozarks. “We’re willing to take on a lot of smaller jobs and specialized jobs that some of the larger firms just pass on,” Cupka Head said.

These include HUD projects, rural developments and city improvement projects such as water and sewer line installations.

High demand + shrinking space = big headaches

As busy as CAR already is, it could be even busier. Yet the Center’s physical space issues hinder its ability to take on bigger and more lucrative projects.

“We can’t actively sign contracts that say we meet certain federal requirements because we don’t,” Cupka Head said. “In addition to lack of space, our facility does not have adequate climate control for curation and preservation requests.”

The situation creates a big headache for CAR professionally and financially. Aside from a modest amount of university funding, CAR is entirely self-sufficient, relying on external funding through contracts and grants to operate.

Table piled with documents and artifacts — Archaeological artifacts and documents await processing in one of CAR’s overflow areas. Photo credit: Lynn Lansdown.

Physical space isn’t the only challenge CAR faces. To train students and address increasingly complex projects, the Center needs new technologies and equipment.

“From shovels and sifting screens to cutting-edge tools, our equipment needs updated,” Cupka Head noted.

CAR’s needs include a state-of-the-art curation facility and lab as well as new office space. The equipment “wish list” includes drones and drone-based tools for Lidar photogrammetry, x-ray fluorescence, and up-to-date versions of geophysical tools like GPR and magnetometry.

“Catch and release” approach

Lack of space has forced CAR to adopt a “catch and release approach” to artifact preservation, Cupka Head said.

“We collect the stuff, we bring it into the lab, we document it. If it’s not something that we think would be worth further study or that potentially would be exhibit-worthy, such as for a museum or exhibit, we’ll just discard it. We just don’t have space to store the artifact,” he explained.

Cupka Head stressed that “catch and release” is not routine practice.

“For most projects we are required to curate everything that is collected in the field. Even though most projects generate less than one cubic foot box of artifacts, it all adds up.”

Wanted: Archaeologists!

The uptick in demand has exposed a shortage of — and growing demand for — professional archaeologists and heritage practitioners. This has created a national workforce crisis, according to Cupka Head.

“It’s gotten to the point where a shortage of archaeologists can sometimes be what holds up development and infrastructure projects,” he explained.

CAR is ready and eager to address the problem. The Center maintains extensive teaching collections to train students on artifact analysis and laboratory methods, Cupka Head said. It also offers field schools where students gain practical, skills-based experience.

MSU’s archaeological students thus leave the program well-prepared, securing positions within state and federal agencies and graduate schools.

“That’s one thing we do here at MSU,” said Cupka Head. “We are actively doing the work, just like the professionals. It’s exactly the same work. We can get students literal on-the-job training while they’re still students.”

Young woman in field with archaeological magnetometer — MSU student Natalie Pope operates a magnetometer during a CAR field school training session. Photo credit: Laura Collins.

Skills-based program provides on-the-job training

CAR typically has two or three student workers each semester helping with collections. Recently, one of those students was Jessica Ogden.

An anthropology major who graduated in December 2024, Ogden continues to work at CAR as an archaeological field technician.

Some of Ogden’s past jobs include working on CAR’s “rebagging project,” during which she relabeled and reorganized excavated artifacts and materials dating 30-50 years ago. She has also performed artifact cleaning projects and operated the floatation machine to recover smaller artifacts and botanical remains.

CAR’s “welcoming and collaborative environment” fostered Ogden’s love of learning. “The tasks and opportunities there allowed me to grow both personally and professionally,” she said. Ogden now hopes to pursue a master’s and, eventually, a doctorate degree within the next five years.

Students sitting at table working on archaeological artifacts — MSU students document archaeological artifacts at CAR. L-R: Ashley Purvis, Cora Darmody (seated), Jessica Ogden and Christina Cheek. Photo credit: Kevin Cupka Head.

Master’s program a long-term goal

Having graduated from a skills-based program himself, Cupka Head wants MSU students to have those same opportunities.

“When I got my undergrad, I was more qualified than people with their master’s degrees because they were coming out of an old model of training,” he explained. “They had no idea what a shovel test or a Phase one survey are. They didn’t know the basics.”

Consequently, Cupka Head’s long-term goal is to establish a skills-based master’s program in archaeology or a cultural resource management program at MSU.

“I envision it as specifically a professional pathways program,” he said.

For Cupka Head, working with students is the most fulfilling aspect of his career.

“I enjoy seeing students get opportunities and then go on and grow, seeing their careers start to unfold,” he said. “We like to go to high schools and middle schools and talk to students. I love to tell them that they can have a career in this. You can be an archaeologist, or you can be an architectural historian, and really nerd out on what you like, yet have a career.”

“There are tons of positions in applied archaeology, applied cultural and resource management. Archaeology is a viable career path, and MSU is a great place to start your journey.”