DePaul University’s annual summer archaeological field study course revisits the Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s Far South Side for five weeks of excavation June 16 through July 18 at the site of the 1880 Pullman Arcade, 11141 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Headed by Jane Baxter, an associate professor of anthropology at DePaul, the class for the first time welcomes community volunteers along on the search for relics from the past as part of its Community Archaeology Weekend, July 12 and 13.

Once the business and retail hub of Pullman, the arcade housed a number of essential and diverse institutions, including a shopping center, library, opera house and police station before it was demolished in the 1920s.

“Arcades were heavily European influenced during this period,” explained Baxter. “They were social spaces—beautiful places to shop and meet your neighbors.”

Baxter said that she and her students hope to re-create the internal architecture of the space by finding the walls of the various businesses and structures and retracing the “footprint” left behind. “We also expect to find fixtures, furnishings and personal objects,” she added.

In the 1950s, the American Legion Hall was built on the site, and today the Historic Pullman Foundation, co-sponsor of DePaul’s field study program, occupies part of the land.

The Community Archaeology Weekend is designed to provide volunteers of all ages with an authentic urban excavation experience.

Volunteers will work in two shifts side-by-side with DePaul students, Baxter and the project staff. The morning shift will be from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The afternoon shift will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both groups are invited to join the DePaul crew for a free lunch from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Each session opens with a brief introduction to archaeological field work and involves two hours of work in the field.

DePaul’s summer field study course is in its sixth year. Pullman was the site of archaeological digs during the summers of 2004 and 2005. Other field studies have taken place at the Field Museum of Natural History and in the Bronzeville community.

With 23,401 students, DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, not-for-profit university in the Midwest. DePaul’s mission emphasizes academic excellence, community service, access to education and respect for the individual.