Cheryl Ann Munson (1944-2024)

Cheryl Ann Munson, Research Scientist Emerita for Indiana University’s Department of Anthropology, passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Cheryl received a BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona and as an undergraduate student was involved in numerous archaeological projects in Arizona, Colorado and Washington State. In 1965 she was accepted to the Anthropology graduate program at the University of Illinois where she met her future husband and fellow graduate student, Patrick Munson. Shortly after their marriage, in 1967, she joined him in his archaeological research in Mauritania. This led to her becoming somewhat famous across the southwestern Sahara, as the only woman who drove her own camel.

In 1971 Cheryl received her M.A. in Anthropology and she and Pat moved to Monroe County, Indiana. In 1972, they purchased a small farm in Indian Creek Township and shortly thereafter she was appointed as a research associate at Indiana University’s Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology and subsequently at the Department of Anthropology. Much of her work concentrated on cultural resource management projects, including investigations at Patoka Lake, a series of buried sites along the Ohio River, the Southwind site, and hundreds of smaller projects.

Understanding the last prehistoric cultures to inhabit southern Indiana and the Ohio Valley had been her research focus and led to the definition of the late Mississippian Caborn-Welborn phase (AD 1400-1650). She directed or co-directed investigations at numerous Mississippian sites–including Hovey Lake, Caborn, Slack Farm, Murphy, Bone Bank, and Prather–as well as the archaeological study of Wyandotte Cave. She was Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator for numerous Historic Preservation Fund grants and was a mentor to dozens of archaeology students. Munson also teamed with other archaeologists and volunteers to present a widely recognized public education program that was held over many years at the Hovey Lake archaeological site, where they introduced scientific archaeology and archaeological ethics to thousands of children and adults. She was a Governor’s appointee to the Indiana Native American Council from 2001-2003 and was active in many archaeological organizations including the Indiana Archaeology Council (formerly known as the Council for the Conservation for the Conservation of Indiana Archaeology).

In 2022 Cheryl was honored with the Indiana Archaeology Award from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology in recognition of her decades of important service, advocacy, research, field investigations, and outreach in Indiana archaeology. State Archaeologist Amy Johnson had the pleasure of interviewing Cheryl that same year for the Hoosier Archaeology Insights project, and the transcript of that interview is available in the 2024 Indiana Archaeology journal. She has left a significant archaeological legacy in our state, the Midwest, and beyond.

Cheryl was also a beloved and dedicated public servant who started her career in local government as a member of the township fire board. In 1994 she was elected to the Indian Creek Township Board and served for 16 years. She also volunteered for Planned Parenthood, several Monroe County Community School Corporation committees, 4-H, The History Center, Friends of Lake Monroe and the Indian Creek Community Association.