In Memorium

This page is dedicated to our colleagues who have passed on,  so that their memory and the contributions they made to the field of archaeology will never be forgotten.

James Richard (“Rick”) Jones III, Ph.D. (1949-2023)

Dr. James R. “Rick” Jones III, Indiana’s second State Archaeologist, passed away on August 27, 2023. Dr. Jones retired from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) at the end of August 2014. He had been with the DHPA, Indiana’s State Historic Preservation Office, since 1987 and was appointed State Archaeologist in 1991, making him our longest-serving State Archaeologist.

On his last day of work before retirement from state government, he was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by then-Governor Mike Pence. At the time, the IDNR director and State Historic Preservation Officer stated that the award honored “his many decades of dedicated service to the archaeological resources of our state, the discipline of Midwest archaeology, and the people of Indiana.”

Dr. Jones received his B.A. in Anthropology and English from the University of New Mexico and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Indiana University. He had substantial experience in precontact and historical archaeology, and some of his research interests included historical cultures in Indiana, ethnohistory, urban and industrial archaeology in Indianapolis, and historic preservation.

During his tenure as State Archaeologist, several notable accomplishments in Indiana archaeology included:

• creation of the Indiana Archaeology journal,
• establishment of an annual statewide celebration of archaeology in Indiana,
• increase in archaeological personnel at the DHPA,
• additions to the state historic preservation and archaeology statute affording protection to archaeological sites on all ground in Indiana dating before December 31, 1870, resulting in the protection or recovery of information from numerous sites,
• considerable increase in subsurface archaeological investigations and protection of historical archaeological sites,
• accumulation and archiving of archaeological site records into one centralized location and initiation of computerization of archaeological site information,
• service as Secretary for the Native American Council (1992-2003),
• service as a designated member of the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission (2006-2008),
• and numerous archaeological data recovered from Indiana Department of Natural Resources state properties.

After retiring from state government service, he kept active in archaeology by working as a Principal Investigator at Weintraut & Associates, Inc.

Rick was much more than an archaeologist. He was a talented musician, a mentor to many archaeologists and students of archaeology, a collector of books, an educator, a lover of the outdoors, and a valued friend to many people. He had a great sense of humor and was very kind and patient. His family, especially his wife Tina, and colleagues and friends will certainly miss him, particularly in the archaeology and historic preservation communities.

Dr. Jones’ positive impact on Indiana archaeology will be felt for many years.

Mitchell K. Zoll (1957 – 2018)

Mitch Zoll was from Bluffton, Indiana. He attended Bluffton High School, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne for his undergraduate degree and Ball State University (BSU) for his Master’s  degree. He married his high school sweetheart Mary Lou Gentis and they had one son, Kevin.

Mitch began his professional career at Ball State University in 1986. He became the Assistant Director of the Archaeological Resources Management Services at BSU. In 2007, Mitch retired from Ball State to start his own consulting firm. Mitch was the was Vice President of Pioneer Consulting Services from 2007 to 2013. In 2013, he closed the company and took a job as the Director of the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer until his untimely death in 2018.

Mitch enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut books, fighting for the Wolf Clan of the Tuchuxs and became a major foodie. Savage’s Ale House was his favorite bar to have a beer in Muncie. Traveling around Indiana for projects, he developed a deep knowledge of bars in just about every town in Indiana and joked about writing a tour book. He could talk to anyone. Mitch was a mentor to numerous archaeology students, a friend to numerous colleagues, an advocate for historic preservation and archaeology and a gentle soul. He is greatly missed by his friends and family.

Christopher S. Peebles, Ph.D. (1939-2012)

Christopher S. Peebles passed away Monday evening, April 17, 2012. Chris is best known through the successes of the many students he mentored, the innovative scholarship he produced, and his leadership of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology at Indiana University, for which he was most proud. His scholarship on Mississippian archaeology, geophysical applications to archaeological investigations, modern and prehistoric social complexity, and information technology will continue to inspire colleagues for years to come. His appointments included Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology and positions in the Program for Cognitive Science and in the School of Informatics. After retirement, Chris continued to advise students and colleagues as Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Director Emeritus of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, and Dean Emeritus and Associate Vice President Emeritus for Information Technology.

Mark E. Cantin (1959 – 2012)

Mark E. Cantin, Assistant Director of the Archaeology and Quaternary Research Laboratory (formally Anthropology Laboratory) at Indiana State University passed away on Thursday, January 19, 2012.

Mark received his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from ISU in 1985, and became a field assistant in the Anthropology Lab under then director Bob Pace. He received his MA degree in Physical Geography at ISU with a specialization in geoarchaeology in 2000 and was appointed assistant director of the laboratory. He was an expert on prehistoric stone material identification and the Early Archaic Period of prehistory in Indiana. Many archaeologists in the state sought out his opinion about prehistoric stone sources. He also served as principal investigator for contract archaeology projects conducted for federal and state agencies including the Indiana Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with particular emphasis on locating buried archaeological sites. He also was project director on one of the lab’s largest projects on the Ohio River near New Albany, (Caesars Archaeological Project) between 1998-2000, which produced one of the largest collections of prehistoric artifacts from a site in the Midwest. He wrote a manual on the descriptions and archaeological use of Indiana chert types which is under development for publication by the Indiana Geological Survey, and may be online soon. Dr. Stafford and Mark have a chapter included in the most comprehensive edited volume concerning the Archaic period of the Midwest which came out in 2009.