In this episode of The Geoholics Podcast, the crew dives deep—both literally and figuratively—into the world of archaeology, GIS, and cultural resource management with special guest Jenna Kent, Archaeologist at Jacobs Engineering Group.

From growing up across Texas, Mississippi, Utah, and Hawaii as part of a military family, to excavating 7th-century monasteries and 12th-century abbeys in Ireland, Jenna’s journey has been anything but ordinary. That geographic diversity helped shape her appreciation for landscapes, cultures, and the human stories hidden beneath them.

The conversation explores what archaeology really looks like beyond the movies—balancing rugged fieldwork with complex office analysis—and why cultural resource compliance is far more technical, analytical, and geospatially driven than most people realize.

Listeners get an inside look at:

>Prehistoric ceramic replication and how recreating ancient pottery reveals insights no textbook ever could

>Surveying 15 miles of wilderness at Bandelier National Monument, one of Jenna’s career-defining projects

>How archaeologists decode fragmented evidence like a massive puzzle with missing pieces

>The growing role of GIS in archaeology, including site density modeling, probability mapping, and interactive story maps

>Where surveyors, mappers, LiDAR professionals, and archaeologists can collaborate more effectively

>The powerful human moments that remind us archaeology is ultimately about people—not artifacts

Jenna closes the episode with thoughtful advice for young professionals looking to enter archaeology, cultural resources, or GIS—encouraging curiosity, patience, and a willingness to embrace both science and storytelling.

This episode is a reminder that whether you’re mapping terrain, scanning infrastructure, or excavating history—context matters, layers matter, and collaboration across disciplines makes us all better.

Song of the Week: “New Orleans Is Sinking” by The Tragically Hip