Kelly Dixon facts for kids
Dr. Kelly J. Dixon is an expert in archaeology. She teaches at the University of Montana. Her main work is about the American West. She is well-known for her studies on the Donner Party site. She also researched old saloons in Virginia City, Nevada.
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Becoming an Archaeologist
Kelly Dixon studied anthropology at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. She then earned her Master's degree in Industrial Archaeology from Michigan Technological University in 1995. Later, she received her Doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Nevada in Reno. While in Reno, she worked on her research about an African American saloon.
Exploring the Past: Dr. Dixon's Research
Dr. Dixon is especially interested in the history of the American West. She studies places where different cultures met long ago. From 1997 to 2002, she worked on projects in Virginia City, Nevada. This area is part of the Comstock Mining District. She worked for the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office during this time.
Uncovering the Donner Party Story
Dr. Dixon has also done a lot of work at the Donner Party site. This research continued studies started by Donald Hardesty. In 2003, she worked with researchers from the University of Oregon. A company linked to the Discovery Channel helped fund this work. This led to a TV show called Unsolved History: The Donner Party.
Her team found many old items. These included pottery, parts of a lantern, and pieces of a writing slate. They also found mirror fragments, glass from a medicine bottle, and musket balls. In 2004, she returned for five weeks to dig more. Universities and a local foundation helped pay for this excavation.
Dr. Dixon and her team wanted to understand what the people at the Donner Party's Alder Creek camp went through. They studied how humans adapt when facing very difficult situations. Their research showed how challenging life was for the group. The History Channel aired a segment about the Donner Party in 2006.
Current Archaeology Projects
Currently, Dr. Dixon is developing new archaeological projects for students. These projects are happening at Coloma, Montana, which is an old mining ghost town. She is also studying isolated Chinese mining communities in Western Montana. She also helps edit the website for the Society for Historical Archaeology.
