danielle m. benden - Department of Anthropology

Curriculum Vitae 

DANIELLE M. BENDEN 

January 1, 2012 

Department of Anthropology 

University of Wisconsin 

5457 Social Sciences Building; 1180 Observatory Drive 

Madison, WI 53706-1393 

(608) 890-1823; email: benden@wisc.edu 

EDUCATION 

2005 M.S. Museum and Field Studies (Archaeology emphasis) 

University of Colorado-Boulder 

Master’s Project Title: The Curation Crisis: Moving Toward a Solution. A Guide for New 

Repositories 

2003 B.S. Archaeological Studies (Honors Program), Minor in Anthropology 

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 

Thesis Title: The Fisher Mounds Site Complex: Evidence for Early Middle Mississippian 

Presence in the Upper Mississippi Valley 

AREAS OF INTEREST 

� Midwest Archaeology (especially the transition from hunter-gatherer (Woodland) to agricultural 

societies) 

� Curation and Archaeological Collections Management 

� Working with Native American tribes on compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and 

Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) law 

� Rehabilitating collections and collection facilities 

� Archaeological Collections Database Management 

RECENT POSITIONS HELD 

2007-Present University of Wisconsin Department of Anthropology, Academic Curator 

2006-2007 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, Curation Consultant 

2005-2006 Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Executive Director 

2005 University of Colorado Museum, Curatorial Assistant 

2004 USDA Forest Service at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center (Ashland, WI), 

Archaeological Curation Technician 

2004 Wisconsin Historical Society, Madeline Island Museum (La Pointe, Wisconsin), 

Summer Research Intern 

2003-2005 University of Colorado Museum, Graduate Assistant to the Museum Director, Dr. 

Linda Cordell 

2003 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Archaeology/Sociology Department, Teaching 

Assistant for a Summer Internship in Archaeological Collections Management for 

Field Excavation 

2002-03 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Teaching Assistant for Physical Anthropology 

2002-03 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, Archaeology Teaching Collection Supervisor 

2001-03 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, Collections Management Assistant 

TEACHING AT UW 

• Anthropology 696: Anthropological Methods of Curation. Course taught every semester from Fall 

2007-present. 

Benden_CV 2012 Page 1 of 6

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK 

2011 Mississippian Initiative Year 3, National Science Foundation Research 

Co-Principle Investigator (Trempealeau, WI excavations. Mississippian; 6 weeks). 


Co-Principle Investigator (Trempealeau, WI excavations. Mississippian; 6 weeks). 


Co-Principle Investigator, along with Robert Boszhardt and Tim Pauketat (Fisher Mounds site, 

Vernon County, WI. Mississippian; 4 weeks). 

2006-2008 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 

Several Phase I and II projects across the state of Wisconsin. 

2005 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 

Field Technician (Spirit Reservoir Survey. Lincoln County, Wisconsin. Archaic- 

Woodland; R. Boszhardt, Dir.; 2 weeks). 

2005 University of Colorado-Boulder 

Teaching Assistant for the University of Colorado Undergraduate Archaeological Field 

School (Hudson-Meng Bison Kill site excavations. Crawford, Nebraska. Paleoindian; D. 

Bamforth, Dir.; 2 weeks) 

2004 USDA Forest Service 

Assistant supervisor for a Passport in Time (PIT) public field school (Butternut/Franklin 

Lakes Project Excavations. Nicolet-Chequamegon National Forest, Wisconsin. Terminal 

Late Woodland; M. Bruhy, Dir.; 2 weeks) 


University Field School Supervisor (Meier Farm Project Excavations, 2002. La Crosse 

County, Wisconsin. Oneota; J. Theler and R. Boszhardt, Directors; 6 weeks. Meier Farm 

and Jackum Project Excavations, 2003. La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Oneota; R. 

Boszhardt, Dir.; 6 weeks) 


Field Technician (Numerous projects in Wisconsin and Iowa. Excavation and survey. 

Archaic-Oneota; R. Boszhardt and W. Holtz-Leith, Directors; 20 weeks). 


Public Field School Supervisor (Fisher Mounds Site Complex Project Excavations. 

Vernon County, Wisconsin. Middle Mississippian; C. Arzigian, Dir.; 2 weeks) 


Field School Crew Member (Fisher Mounds Site Complex Project Excavations. Vernon 

County, Wisconsin. Early and Middle Woodland and Middle Mississippian; C. Arzigian, 

Dir.; 6 weeks) 

PUBLICATIONS 

2011 Benden, Danielle M., Timothy R. Pauketat, and Robert F. Boszhardt. The Mississippian 

Initiative: Year Two at Trempealeau. The Wisconsin Archeologist 92(1):73-75. 

2010a Benden, Danielle M., Timothy R. Pauketat, and Robert F. Boszhardt. Early Mississippian 

Colonists in the Upper Mississippi Valley: 2009 Investigations at the Fisher Mounds Site 

Complex. The Wisconsin Archeologist 91(1):131-132. 

2010b Benden, Danielle M. The Brogley Rockshelter (47-Gt-156) Re-visited: A History of 

Excavation and the Impacts of the Curation Crisis. The Wisconsin Archeologist 91(2):7-26. 

2008a James B. Stoltman, Danielle M. Benden, and Robert F. Boszhardt. New Evidence in the 

Upper Mississippi Valley for Pre-Mississippian Cultural Interaction with the American 

Bottom. American Antiquity 73(2):317-336. 

2008b Benden, Danielle. New Storage for Anthropology Department at UW-Madison. The 

Courier Vol. 20(2). 

2004 Benden, Danielle. The Fisher Mounds Site Complex: Early Middle Mississippian 

Exploration in the Upper Mississippi Valley, Minnesota Archaeologist 63: (7-24). 

2003a Robert Boszhardt and Danielle Benden. Middle Mississippian Site Discoveries in the La 


Crosse Locality. Iowa Archaeology News 53 (2): 1-2. Iowa Archaeological Society, 

Iowa City. 

2003b Danielle Benden. Middle Mississippian Component at Fisher Mounds Site. Archaeology 

News 21(2): 3. Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, La Crosse, WI. 

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS and POSTERS 

2011 Danielle M. Benden, Timothy R. Pauketat. And Robert F. Boszhardt. Early Mississippian 

House at the Uhl site in Trempealeau, Wisconsin. Poster presented at the 57 th Annual Meeting of 

the Midwest Archaeological Conference, La Crosse, WI. 

2011 Boszhardt, Robert F., Danielle M. Benden, and Timothy R. Pauketat. Assessing the Little Bluff 

Platform Mounds at Trempealeau, Wisconsin. Poster presented at the 57 th Annual Meeting of the 

Midwest Archaeological Conference, La Crosse, WI. 

2011 Pauketat, Timothy R., Danielle M. Benden, and Robert F. Boszhardt. Cosmic Contact in the 

Upper Mississippi Valley. Paper presented at the 76 th Annual Meeting of the Society for 

American Archaeology, Sacramento, CA. 

2010 Pauketat, Timothy R., Danielle M. Benden, and Robert F. Boszhardt. New Evidence of the 

Cahokian Occupation of Trempealeau. Poster presented at the 56 th Annual Meeting of the 

Midwest Archeological Conference, Bloomington, IN. 

2010 Pfaffenroth, Jake, Jake Rieb, Danielle Benden, and Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt . Clarifying 

the Extent and Age of the Mississippian Presence at Trempealeau. Poster presented at the 56 th 

Annual Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Bloomington, IN. 

2010 Benden, Danielle M., Robert F. Boszhardt, Timothy Pauketat, and James L. Theler. “Early 

Mississippian Colonists to An Effigy Mounds No-Man’s Land in the Upper Mississippi River 

Valley.” Paper presented at the 75 th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 

St. Louis, MO. 

2009 Pauketat, Timothy R., Danielle M. Benden, and Robert F. Boszhardt. “Early Mississippian 

Colonists in the Upper Mississippi Valley: 2009 Investigations at the Fisher Mounds Site 

Complex.” Poster Presented at the 55 th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological 

Conference, Iowa City, IA. 

2009 Benden, Danielle M. “Archaeological Curation in the Midwest: Current Trends and Future 

Directions.” Paper presentation and organizer for the Symposium on Curation at the 55 th Annual 

Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Iowa City, IA. 

2008 Benden, Danielle M. “The Brogley Rockshelter Revisited: A History of Excavation and 

Curation.” Poster Presented at the 54 th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological 

Conference, Milwaukee, WI. 

2008 Benden, Danielle. Presenter, Early Woodland Ceramic Workshop at the 54 th Annual 

Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Milwaukee, WI. 

2005 Benden, Danielle and Sheila Goff. “Castle Park (NW Colorado) Revisited: Re-Analysis 

of Perishables from Archaeological Cave Sites.” Paper presented at the 2005 Annual 

Meeting for the Society for American Archaeology, Salt Lake City, UT. 

2004 Benden, Danielle. “The Fisher Mounds Site Complex: Early Middle Mississippian 

Exploration in the Upper Mississippi Valley.” Paper presented at the 2004 joint 

Meeting of the Midwest/Southeastern Archaeological Conference, St. Louis, MO. 

2003 Benden, Danielle and Robert Boszhardt. “Everybody Loves Ramey: Terminal Late 

Woodland/Middle Mississippian Ceramics from the Northern Hinterlands.” A Ceramic 

Workshop at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Archaeological Conference in 

Milwaukee, WI. 

2003 Benden, Danielle. “The Middle Mississippian Component at the Fisher Mound/White 

Camp II Site Complex in Southwestern Wisconsin.” Poster presented at the 68th Annual 

Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Milwaukee, WI. 


GRANTS 

2010 Department of the Interior, FY 2010 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 

(NAGPRA) Consultation and Documentation grant, Co-Principal Investigator. 

2010 US Fish and Wildlife Service Grant, for collections storage shelving. 

2010 US Fish and Wildlife Service Grant, for curation supplies. 

2010 Bureau of Land Management Grant, for curation supplies. 

2010 Professional Development Grant (UW-Madison), to attend a Midwest Art Conservation Center 

(MACC) Workshop at the Chazen Museum in Madison, WI. 

2010 Wisconsin Archeological Society Preservation of Sites grant, to fund the annual Artifact 

Identification Day at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County. 

2010 Natural History Consortium grant (UW-Madison) for curation supplies. 

2009 National Science Foundation grant: 3-year archaeological fieldwork grant entitled 

“Mississippianization, Religious Conversion and Identity Formation in Pre-Columbian 

Wisconsin,” Co-Principle Investigator. 



2009 Department of the Interior, FY 2009 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 

(NAGPRA) Consultation and Documentation grant, Co-Principal Investigator. 



2008 Professional Development grant (UW-Madison), to travel to the National NAGPRA 

Conference and Review Committee Meetings in Seattle, WA. 

2008 Natural History Consortium grant, for preparation in compliance with the Native American 

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). 

2008 Natural History Consortium grant, (UW-Madison) for curation supplies. 

2007 National Endowment for the Humanities, Co-Principle Investigator, to conduct an 

Anthropological Preservation Assessment. 

2006 Elizabeth Callender King Foundation grant, to create educational exhibits at the 

Minnesota Marine Art Museum. 

2006 Target Corp. grant, for public education at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. 

2005 Collie Fund grant from the Museum and Field Studies Graduate Program at the 

University of Colorado-Boulder, for travel support to present a paper at the 70th Annual 

Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Salt Lake City, UT. 

2004 Collie Fund grant from the Museum and Field Studies Graduate Program at the 

University of Colorado-Boulder, for travel support to attend the 98th Annual Meeting of 

the American Association of Museums in New Orleans, LA. 

2004 Walker Van Riper grant from the Museum and Field Studies Graduate Program at the 

University of Colorado-Boulder, for master’s project data collection. 

2003 Travel grant from the United Government for Graduate Students (UGGS) at the 

University of Colorado-Boulder, for travel support in order to present at the 49th Annual 

Midwest Archaeological Conference in Milwaukee, WI. 

INVITED LECTURES and PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS 

2011 “Mississippian, Woodland, and Historic Sites in the Trempealeau, Wisconsin Locality.” Tour of 

archaeological sites in the Trempealeau, Wisconsin area as part of the annual Midwest 

Archaeological Conference. 

2011 “Cahokian Missionaries in Trempealeau, Wisconsin: A Preliminary Summary of the 

Mississippian Initiative.” Lecture for the Charlie Brown Chapter of the Wisconsin 

Archaeological Society, Madison, WI. 

2011 “Effigy Mounds in Southern Wisconsin.” Tour of Effigy Mound Archaeological sites in and 

near Madison, Wisconsin. 

2011 “Mississippians in Trempealeau, Wisconsin.” Lecture for the Trempealeau Historical Museum. 


2011 “Anthropology at UW.” Presentation and tour of the Department of Anthropology facilities to a 

delegation of Vietnamese archaeologists. 


delegation of visiting Mongolian archaeologist. 


visiting Mexican archaeologist. 

2010 “Mississippian Archaeology at Trempealeau, WI.” Wisconsin Public Radio interview, Larry 

Meiller show. 

2010 “National Science Foundation Archaeological Research in Trempealeau, WI.” Lecture for at the 

Village Community Center in Trempealeau, WI. 

2010 “Wisconsin Archaeology Overview.” Presentation to the 4 th graders at Lincoln Elementary in 

Madison, WI. 

2010 “Wisconsin Archaeology and Your Collections.” Presenter and Organizer for a Wisconsin 

Federation of Museums Workshop. 

2010 “Early Mississippian Colonists to an Effigy Mound No-Man’s Land in the Upper Mississippi 

Valley.” Presentation to the Three Rivers Chapter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society. 

2010 “Collaborating With the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Committee.” Presentation at the 12 th Annual 

National Association of Tribal Historical Preservation Officers Meeting, Oneida, WI. 

2010 “Wisconsin Archaeology and the Importance of Ethical Collecting.” Presentation to Dane 

County Metal Detector Club. 


delegation of Libyan archaeologists. 

2009 “Early Mississippian Colonists in the Upper Mississippi Valley.” Presentation to the 

Ritzenthaler Chapter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society. 

2009 “Undergraduate Careers in Anthropology.” Member of a panel discussion on careers in 

anthropology, presented at UW-Madison. 

2009 “Wisconsin Archaeology Month.” Wisconsin Public Radio interview, Larry Meiller show. 

2008 “Undergraduate Careers in Anthropology.” Member of a panel discussion on careers in 

anthropology, presented at UW-Madison. 

2008 “UW-Madison’s Anthropology Collections.” Guest Lecturer in Dr. Randall Law’s Artifact and 

Analysis course at UW-Madison 

2007 “UW-Madison’s Anthropology Collections.” Guest Lecturer in Dr. Brad Chase’s Material 

Culture course at UW-Madison 

2007 “The Rehabilitation of UW-Madison’s Anthropology Collections: Phase I.” UW-Madison 

Brown Bag Presentation 

2007 “Curation in Crisis: Moving Toward a Solution.” Guest Lecturer in Dr. Timothy McAndrews’ 

Cultural Resource Management course at UW-La Crosse 

2005-2006 More than 25 public presentations about the Minnesota Marine Art Museum to civic groups in 

Wisconsin and Minnesota 

2004 “The Fur Trade in Wisconsin.” Madeline Island Museum, La Pointe, Wisconsin 

2002 “MVAC Summer Excavations at the Meier Farm Site.” UW-La Crosse 

2002 “PastPerfect Barcode/Retrieval Software System.” University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 

HONORS and AWARDS 

2003-2005 Graduate Assistantship at the University of Colorado-Boulder 

2004 Alice Hamilton Scholarship from the Colorado Archaeological Society 

2002 The Scott Carnes Memorial Scholarship in Archaeology 

COMMUNITY/CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT 

2011-present Committee Member, Society for American Archaeology, Committee on Museums, 

Collections, and Curation 

2011-present Committee Member and Co-Chair of Professional Development Grants Committee, UW- 

Madison, Academic Staff Professional Development and Research Committee 


2010 Organizer, 3 rd Annual Artifact Identification Day at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County as part of 

Wisconsin Archaeology Month 

2010 Wisconsin Archaeology Day at Raddatz Rockshelter, Natural Bridge State Park, co-organizer 

2009-2011 At-Large Board Member, Wisconsin Archeological Survey 

2009-present Editor, WisArch News, the newsletter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society 

2009 Organizer, the 2 nd Annual Artifact Identification Day at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County as part of 


2008-present Organizer, luncheon lecture series at UW-Madison, as part of a Cultural Heritage Preservation 

grant, UW Division of International Studies and the International Institute 

2007-present Committee Member, Natural History Consortium, UW-Madison 

2007-present Committee Member, Curator’s Circle, UW-Madison 

2007-2009 Co-organizer, Wisconsin Archaeology Day for 4 th graders at Pope Farm Park 

2008 Organizer, 1 st Annual Artifact Identification Day at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County as part of 


2004-05 Graduate Student Representative, Program Review Process Committee, University 

of Colorado-Boulder 

2004 Graduate Student Representative, Faculty/Staff Meetings, Museum and Field Studies 

Department at the University of Colorado-Boulder 

2003-05 Docent, University of Colorado Museum 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS 

Society for American Archaeology American Association of Museums 

Midwest Archaeological Society Midwest Museum Association 

Midwest Registrar’s Committee Wisconsin Archeological Survey 

Wisconsin Archeological Society Wisconsin Federation of Museums

danielle m. benden - Department of Anthropology

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