Dr. Nicholas F. Bellantoni serves as the state archaeologist with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Archaeology Center in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Connecticut.
After high school he served four years in the US Navy. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University, he received his doctorate in anthropology from UConn in 1987. Shortly thereafter he was appointed to the newly created post of state archaeologist.
One of Dr. Bellantoni’s primary responsibilities is the preservation of archaeological sites in Connecticut. Though he usually conducts forensic investigations on historic skeletal remains, he occasionally assists the police in criminal investigations. His duties also include curating the anthropological collections at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Bellantoni gives over 60 talks per year on topics related to archaeology.
He serves as an Adjunct Associate Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UConn, as well as a State Commissioner for the Commission on Culture and Tourism and sits on the State Historic Preservation Council.
His research background includes the analysis of skeletal remains from eastern North America. In 2012 he excavated and repatriated the remains of Albert Afraid of Hawk, a Lakota Sioux who was buried in Connecticut in 1900. During his interview Dr. Bellantoni recalled, “It was just an extraordinary project.”
Dr. Bellantoni has appeared on several television programs, including the History Channel’s “Mystery Quest” and “the Hitler Project”, and National Geographic Channel’s “Is It Real?: Vampires”.
He has been excavating in Connecticut for over 30 years, and currently lives in the town of Newington.
Sources: http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=8443