Who and What is the Urban Archaeologist

My name is Bradley Wynn, the who this blog post refers to, and I am a self-proclaimed Urban Archaeologist. But what is an urban archaeologist? According to the internet, Urban archeology "is a sub-field of archeology devoted to the material past of towns and cities, whose pasts have been richly documented by long-term human habitation."

    I am certainly devoted to studying our past and the connections through the stories that bind us. Although I hold no degree in history or the subject of archaeology, I have authored a couple of books and numerous articles on Oklahoma history. I have dedicated myself to serve as an advocate to the study of the past and that which connects us. I wander down tangled roads and look through the broken windows of forgotten structures and ask, "What is this?", "Who was here?", "What happened?"

    I find history is filled with moments that defined entire populations or changed the course of human history. But as an urban archaeologist, I am able to focus on smaller scales and seek out the specific stories and people who shaped their communities. In doing so, these re-discovered moments, research into, and sharing of their stories gives me a sense of purpose. It also allows me to build connections with those I am able to share these stories and moments with, either through historic walking tours or one-on-one, over cocktails or through my website, urbanarchaeologisttours.com.

    I am enamored with how history can both resonate and fill us with emotional ties to the past. I am further awed about how relevant that past remains and how it continues touching others, generations after the recorded event. I am also in love with the research and being in a position to reveal the unique and share them with you. We are all connected. It is more than history. It is our story.