Preserving the Past w/ Shauna Mundt

In this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we talk with Shauna Mundt, a senior historical archaeologist at Pacific Legacy Inc. and lead archaeologist for the Martinez Cemetery Preservation Alliance. Shauna specializes in Cultural Resource Management (CRM), where she works to identify, preserve, and document historical artifacts—often under challenging field conditions and strict legal guidelines. Shauna shares how CRM differs from academic archaeology, including the ethical responsibilities, unpredictable project locations, and the reality of looting. She also explains how tools like GIS mapping support site preservation and how anthropology skills—like recognizing patterns in human behavior—are central to her work. Her path into archaeology wasn't traditional. After working in corporate aviation and navigating vision loss, she found her passion in anthropology and now applies those early life skills to fast-paced, high-stakes fieldwork. This episode offers a thoughtful look at what it means to protect cultural heritage and why understanding the past is essential to making sense of the present.