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One of the principal goals of the Saints' Rest archaeological work, conducted as a field school by the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University in the summer of 2005, was to investigate the building's function. This task seemed relatively unambiguous. This past residence hall had modern counterparts that could surely provide analogies useful in interpreting the past lifeways. However, one had to be careful in making comparisons over a century in which many things had changed. This chapter examines the building at the scale of both the larger community of which it was a part and the members of this institutional household. This helps in drawing analogies to discern the nature and distribution of boarding-hall activities in the archaeological record.

Community archaeology is a form of public archaeology and shares some concerns with indigenous archaeology, reflexive archaeology, and efforts to decolonize archaeology. What sets community archaeology apart from other public archaeology is that the community retains partial control of all aspects of the project, from planning stages through curation and post-fieldwork activities. This was certainly the case with the Saints' Rest project, as archaeologists shared control of various aspects of the project with key community groups. Sharing control in community archaeology requires developing more interpersonal relationships and working with many more members of the community than in most traditional archaeology. In addition to having traditional field skills, archaeologists may collaborate with local organizations, provide field and museum training, interview community members, and develop tourism. This chapter explores the role of archaeologists and their attendant ethical concerns through the window of Saints' Rest.

The archaeology of academia is not new. For decades both faculty and cultural resource management archaeologists have endeavored to reveal and salvage the ephemeral traces of these educational institutions and their surrounding community. Often they have been one step ahead of the bulldozers. In 1995, Santa Clara University established an Archaeology Research Lab to coordinate campus-focused research, provide oversight for cultural resources, support teaching efforts, and curate artifacts and supporting documentation generated during campus construction and research projects. The Saints' Rest project of 2005 proved to be a watershed event for archaeology at Michigan State University. The Archaeology Research Lab has worked closely with the Santa Clara University Archives and faculty from environmental studies, history, and modern languages. They also offer opportunities for donors who wish to leave a legacy, while enhancing the image of the university as a place where education occurs throughout the campus.