Summary
Current status: M.A. student
Lab associations: Artemisia Archaeological Research Fund
Matt Skeels is a first year Master's student and a research assistant for Artemisia Archaeological Research Fund. Prior to attending UNR, he graduated from University of Oregon with a B.S. in Anthropology. Matt also served five years as chairman for the Oregon High Desert Grotto (OHDG), a caving club dedicated to the study and preservation of caves in Oregon. His work with the OHDG included publication of the newsletter/guidebooks, volunteer work with Deschutes National Forest and Bureau of Land Management, and was contracted by the Oregon Department of State Lands to develop a bat management plan for the Stevens Road Tract as required by a land patent, for the 8 caves located on the parcel. He maintains an extensive database on the caves of Oregon documenting their historical, cultural, biological, geological, and recreational resources. Matt is also the leading historian of the Horse Lava Tube System, maintaining a living bibliography spanning from 1891-current.
Matt is also the proud father of a 20-year-old son. In their spare time, they enjoy playing acoustic guitar and learning the art of finger plucking from their sensei Elliott Smith.
Selected publications
- 2023, Skeels, Matt. Annotated Bibliography of the Horse Lava Tube System (unpublished, available by request)
- 2019, Skeels, Matt et al. Basaltic Bourne - 2019 NCA & Western Region Guidebook, Oregon High Desert Grotto
- 2015, Skeels, Matt. Bat Management Plan for the Stevens Road Tract, Bend, Oregon, with emphasis on Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), Oregon Department of State Lands.
- 2015, Skeels, Matt et al. The Middle Ground - 2015 NCA Regional Guidebook, Oregon High Desert Grotto
- 2010, Skeels, Matt et al. Undiscovered Country - 2010 NCA Regional Guidebook, Oregon High Desert Grotto
Academic interests
Obsidian sourcing, speleology, Great Basin archaeology, lithics, cultural resource management, LiDAR/DEM
Education
- B.A., Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, 2023