The California State University Monterey Bay Institute of Archaeological Science, Technology, and Visualization (IASTV), also known as the CSUMB Institute of Archaeology has as its mission to develop a fully integrated curriculum centered on archaeological science, technology, and visualization. This Institute's curriculum encompasses the social, geo-spatial, virtual, environmental, and archaeological sciences. Project-based and both lab and fieldwork oriented, the Institute explores and engages the development of:
- Online and multimedia instructional courseware
- Archaeology and museum collections database applications
- Virtual museum development and virtual reality (VR) modeling of archaeological sites and materials
- An ongoing program of archaeological research and material culture studies
- Museum design, development, and public programming for the Old Mission and community of San Juan Bautista and other project sites on the California Central Coast Archaeology and museum anthropology applications in Service Learning
Virtual archaeology conjoins archaeology with the realms of electronic information technology, multimedia, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It brings these powerful new technologies to the forefront of scientific interpretation, reconstruction, and the modeling of past worlds. The Institute for Archaeology is committed to the development of an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum that includes project-based learning, instructional technology development, and service learning applications in archaeology.
The Institute for Archaeology is directed by Dr. Rubén G. Mendoza.