Research Laboratories of Archaeology Publications

The Research Laboratories of Archaeology (RLA) Publications Archive contains publications and reports generated from fieldwork and research by RLA staff and students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Founded in 1939, the RLA was the first center for the study of North Carolina archaeology. It is currently one of the leading institutes for archaeological teaching and research in the South, serving the interests of students, scholars, and the general public. Located within the College of Arts and Sciences, the RLA provides support for faculty and students working not only in North Carolina, but also throughout the Americas and overseas. With one of the nation’s finest collections of archaeological materials from the South, the RLA curates more than eight million artifacts along with more than 65,000 digital images, photographs, slides, and more. Over the past 60 years, virtually all of the major discoveries in the understanding of North Carolina’s ancient past can be attributed to the RLA or to researchers trained there. For more information, check out the RLA’s website at https://archaeology.sites.unc.edu/rla/. Information about the RLA’s artifact and photographic collections can be accessed through UNC’s Digital Collections Repository at https://dcr.lib.unc.edu/.