Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University

Name: Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University
Address: 340 Lee Boulevard, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, US
Telephone: (662) 325-3826
Price range: Not Applicable

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Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University

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The Cobb Institute of Archaeology is a research and service unit of the College of Arts & Sciences

The Cobb Institute was founded in 1971 to promote archaeological research and education at Mississippi State University related to the Middle Eastern origins of Western Civilization and to the Indians of the South, particularly in Mississippi. The Institute's facilities house the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology and its artifact collections. The Institute also manages a separate facility for the curation of research collections. The Institute's staff hold formal cross-affiliations with the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures where they serve as teaching faculty. Staff archaeologists are involved in a full range of archaeological research, including basic cultural and historical investigations, field excavations, laboratory analysis and report preparation, as well as cultural resource management and public archaeology. The Institute works with businesses, municipalities, state, federal and international agencies to assist them in complying with antiquities regulations and with cultural resource and environmental laws. Through affiliations with academic departments the Institute provides a wide range of opportunities for MSU undergraduate and graduate students to become engaged in archaeological research and study activities. The Institute also provides assistantships to students concentrating in archaeology in the Masters Program in Applied Anthropology of the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures. The annual program of the Institute features public lectures, tours and workshops, and the staff is routinely engaged in on- and off-campus outreach activities.

10/15/2026

Cobb archaeologists are presenting multiple posters and papers at the Paleoamerican Odyssey conference in Santa Fe this week! Check out the full program here: https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/csfa/paleoamerican-odyssey-conference-program/

09/18/2026

Earlier this week, Dr. Hardin visited with students and faculty at Holmes Community College, where he gave a talk titled "Pop Culture, the Bible and Archaeology: A Case Study of David and Solomon".

09/02/2026

For the next two days, Dr. Molly Zuckerman will be hosting colleagues for a series of talks and workshops sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation and attendance is encouraged by anyone who is interested! Please check all of the flyers for more information.

On Thursday (September 3rd), an opening Q&A panel will take place from 11am to noon, in Etheredge room 224. In the evening, Dr. Sharon DeWitte will give a talk in room 3220 of the Old Main building from 6 to 7pm titled "Stress and Survival in the Context of Medieval Famine and Plague".

On Friday (September 4th), Dr. Fabian Crespo will give a talk in room 3300 of the Old Main building from 2 to 3pm titled "Ancient Immune Systems: Revealing Hidden Stories of Past Lives". Following his talk, a workshop on methods in bioarchaeology and paleopathology research will take place from 3:30 to 5pm in Etheredge room 224.

We hope you can join us!

08/31/2026

The fall semester is underway, and we are excited to announce three new AMEC faculty as Cobb Institute research associates!

Please join us in welcoming Drs. Christopher Goden, Thomas Jennings, and Ashley Smallwood to Mississippi State!

05/20/2026

Multiple Cobb staff are being recognized this spring for passing significant employment milestones at Mississippi State University - thank you all for your service and for making the Cobb a better place!

05/19/2026

The spring semester is over, and we have switched to our summer operating hours. While we are not currently open for walk-in visitors, you can still schedule a tour of the museum by contacting the MSU Welcome Center at (662) 325-2330.

We will reopen for walk-ins once the fall semester begins in August - check back for updated hours after 8/15.

04/29/2026

MSU scholars will be busy in San Francisco for the Society for American Archaeology meetings this week! Cobb staff, research associates, and AMEC faculty and students are presenting ten papers and posters over the next few days - stop by and say hi!

04/09/2026

As we continue our 50th anniversary celebrations, we are excited to announce our spring lecture, by Dr. Andrea Berlin of Boston University! Her talk, titled "Alexander the Great at Gordian: A New Episode in an Old Story" will take place on Tuesday, April 14th, at 5:30 PM in the auditorium of the Old Main Academic Center on MSU's campus. The event is free and open to the public - we hope to see you there!

04/02/2026

In a letter from Cully Cobb to MSU President William Giles in 1972, the vision for the Cobb Institute included "archaeological research, study, travel, excavations and explorations, publications and reports, and other similar uses or purposes". Over the past 50 years, the Cobb has provided scholarships, employment, and a variety of financial resources for hundreds of students at Mississippi State, and is the main source of research and travel funding for students in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures. This can range from small purchases of lab supplies to support thesis projects, to plane tickets for international fieldwork, to funding graduate assistantships that include tuition waivers and semi-monthly stipends!

None of these opportunities would be possible without the generous support of our donors. If you are interested and able to contribute, please see the donation link here:
https://dda.msstate.edu/give-now?f=310806

Photo credit: Saylor Fortner

Address

340 Lee Boulevard
Mississippi State, MS
39762

Telephone

(662) 325-3826

Website

http://cobb.msstate.edu/

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