Fieldwork and Field School Opportunities List – United States

ARIZONA

Dendrochronology Intensive Summer Course (DISC), SUMMER 2024

Informational website: https://ltrr.arizona.edu/summerschool

Every tree has a story to tell. Dendrochronology is the study of natural and human processes that are recorded in the annual growth rings of trees. This tree-ring record is archived thanks to the remarkable preservation qualities of wood, and across the wide geographical distribution of trees. Through the science of dendrochronology, a broad range of ecological, climatic, geological, and cultural phenomena can be reconstructed and analyzed with high spatial and temporal resolution.

ARIZONA

Preservation Archaeology Field School in Southwest New Mexico: A collaborative field school with Archaeology Southwest, Western New Mexico University, and the University of Arizona

Program Dates: June 10 – July 21, 2025
Applications due March 15, 2025;

Program website: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/things-to-do/field-school/.


Join Archaeology Southwest, Western New Mexico University, and the University of Arizona this summer for our Preservation Archaeology Museum Curation and Survey Field School. Learn collections-based research, museum curation, experimental archaeology, and archaeological survey while investigating how households cooperated in 11th-century southwest New Mexico. Field trips to archaeological sites, contemporary Native American communities, and public outreach events in our project area emphasize communication with diverse audiences and reinforce the principles of Preservation Archaeology as we focus on recovering maximum information with limited impacts on the archaeological record. Our staff’s backgrounds include CRM, academic, and nonprofit work.

About the Field School

This archaeology course is focused on learning from archaeological museum collections and survey data, using information from both approaches to answer research questions. Our approach combines elements of a traditional archaeological field school and a museum studies course, and everyone spends time on both course components.

Our curriculum highlights the practice of Preservation Archaeology, which integrates research, education, preservation, and engagement with Indigenous and local communities. We share what we learn throughout the project with the public via local events, blog posts, and other venues. Together, students and staff explore ethically responsible and scientifically rigorous field and research methods while investigating compelling questions about our shared past.

Students will research and catalog collections from the NAN Ranch, a large Classic Mimbres period pueblo in the Mimbres Valley excavated by the Texas A&M University summer archaeological field school from 1978 to 1989 and now housed at the Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Museum. Archaeological survey experience on the NAN Ranch provides essential field training in locating and recording archaeological sites and contextualizes our museum collections research. Experimental archaeology gives us insights into how the items we see in the field and in museum collections were made and used.

The field school begins in Tucson, Arizona, where students take part in a three-day orientation to the principles of Preservation Archaeology at Archaeology Southwest and the University of Arizona. The remainder of the program takes place at WNMU in Silver City, New Mexico.

This project is committed to increasing the diversity of views represented in archaeology, including improving communication between archaeologists and nonprofessionals and between researchers with different backgrounds and training. Students from backgrounds and institutions traditionally underrepresented in archaeology (including small colleges and community colleges) are especially encouraged to apply.

Project Faculty:

Karen Gust Schollmeyer is a Preservation Archaeologist at Archaeology Southwest. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Arizona State University in 2009. Her interests include long-term human-environment interactions; food security and landscape use; and how archaeologists’ long-term insights can be applied to modern issues in conservation and development. Her research has been published in American Antiquity, the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Kiva, and various book chapters. She has directed numerous field schools in southwest New Mexico.

Jeffery J. Clark is also a Preservation Archaeologist at Archaeology Southwest. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1997. Dr. Clark has worked extensively in Southwest Asia and the southern U.S. Southwest. His primary research interest is assessing the scale and impact of ancient migration using archaeological data. He has written extensively on the topic, including one monograph, an edited book, several book chapters, and articles in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Antiquity, Kiva, Journal of Field Archaeology, and Journal of Archaeological Research.

Allen Denoyer is a Preservation Archaeologist and Ancient Technologies Expert at Archaeology Southwest. He has been working as a professional archaeologist since the early 1990s, with field experience spanning the Paleoindian through historic time periods. He is also an expert in ancient technologies, and guides students in replicating and using traditional tools for the experimental archaeology component of the field school.

Danielle Romero is Director of the WNMU Museum. She received her PhD at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2024. She has 10 years of field experience in the southwest, and her research has focused on Mimbres archaeology and archaeological ceramic analysis. Prior to her current position, she worked at the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office as a database manager and Section 106 reviewer.

Rebecca Harkness is a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona. She studies identity, trade, and social connections, particularly through pottery analysis and museum collections research. She has conducted archaeological research in the US Southwest, Cyprus, and Oman, and taught English in Tokyo.

CALIFORNIA

ZOOARCHAEOLOGY IN THEORY & PRACTICE: ANALYZING MATERIALS FROM LOS ANGELES NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND CHANNEL ISLANDS, CALIFORNIA (US)

Project dates: June 17 to July 12, 2024 Tuition payment deadline: April 5, 2024; Orientation date: April 14, 2024

Project website: https://www.fieldsciences.org/program/2024-us-ca-zooarchaeology/

Project syllabus with detailed information: https://www.fieldsciences.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Syllabus-US-CA-Zooarch-2024.pdf

Application link:https://cfs.embark.com/apply/2024

INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Aharon Sasson, San Diego Natural History Museum, Co-director, San Diego Zooarchaeology Laboratory asasson@sdnhm.organd Dr. Amy Gusick, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Associate Curator of Anthropology, <agusick@nhm.org>

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

CALIFORNIA

CLEAR LAKE ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT, CALIFORNIA (US)

Project dates: Aug. 8-17, 2025

Project website: https://sites.google.com/view/clearlakeanthropology/home and https://foothill.edu/anthropology/field/summerfs.html

This is a college research and service leadership program of study focused on the people of the Clear Lake, California region through time, beginning specifically when the first colonizers arrived from Spain and the East Coast. In uncovering unremembered stories of the past and working to incorporate the research ideas and goals of the local population of the region, we hope to gain a richer understanding of the past.

The field class runs from August 8-17 in Lake County, California. This allows working students to take one week off and complete a full field school.

The field school will integrate training and direct field experience in Lake County. Most students will be camping at Clear Lake State Park. Options abound for hotels and AirBnB.

The program fees are limited to costs for camping reservations for ten days in the Clear Lake basin on a research and service learning program of study. Course credits are offered for Anth 52 – Archaeological Field Methods. All other costs will be directly incurred by the students, to include food and transport. We will provide options for group dining; fees are arranged directly with the provider.

Foothill College’s Department of Anthropology is excited to be offering a low-cost field program in California. Led by Dr Samuel Connell and colleagues, we are studying the remarkable history of the Clear Lake region through time. In 2025 survey of the lake side will continue, and the excavation component will be at a locally important site that is to be determined. In 2024 we were at the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse, the last standing original one room schoolhouse in Lake County. In 2021 summer student survey and excavations focused on the historically significant site of the Ely Stage Stop, which was used as a stage coach stop, public house, hotel and a school for boys. Students will be learning all aspects of fieldwork from survey, ground-penetrating radar, excavation techniques and laboratory work. The work involves defining foundations of the main building, finding the privies and excavating the outbuildings. Each student is required to carry out individual research on a topic of their choice and prepare a Student Independent Pilot Project final paper. Lastly, every student will be heavily involved in community development projects with various stakeholders, to include the Lake County Historical Society.

Cost estimation for students, staff, and volunteers: This will be one of the lowest, if not the lowest, priced field experiences in the country. We are doing this because we firmly believe equity in education. In addition, the Foothill student body, the Department of Anthropology, and the college President, are offering scholarships to help defer costs.

Program Fees & Tuition:

Program Fees: $400 camp sites and rental of transport

Tuition : variable cost

CA In-state ($31.00 per unit).

Out-of-state ($239.00 per unit).

International ($239.00 per unit).

Course Offerings:

4 units of Foothill College credit, transferrable to UC/CSU and other institutions.

Anth 52: Archaeology Field Methods (4 units)

For additional information, contact:

Sam Connell [connellsamuel@foothill.edu] Foothill College, Department of Anthropology, Los Altos Hills CA 94022 USA Phone:(650) 499-6500

COLORADO

AMACHE COMMUNITY ETHNOGRAPHY COLORADO
Course dates: June 16 to July 13, 2024

Full program details can be found here, and project 2024 syllabus here project video can be found here
Priority application deadline: February 1, 2024; fees due by May 1, 2024

OVERVIEW

The Amache Archaeology and Heritage Management Field School is part of a long-term community collaborative project at Amache, a World War II-era Japanese American confinement camp in southeastern Colorado. This project provides a rare opportunity for students to work with survivors in synergistic investigations of the past and its meaning in the present at a National Historic Landmark. Working on-site and in the Amache museum, participants in the field school, gain hands-on experience in intensive site survey, historic artifact analysis, ground penetrating radar, landscape archaeology, collections management, public interpretation and outreach, and community-based research.

FIELD SCHOOL DIRECTORS:
Dr. Bonnie Clark, University of Denver (bclark@du.edu)
Dr. April Kamp-Whittaker, California State University, Chico (akamp-whittaker@csuchico.edu)
MUSEUM COORDINATOR: Anne Amati, University of Denver (anne.amati@du.edu)
SENIOR FIELD CREW CHIEFS: Dr. Annie Danis, Cal Poly Pomona (aedanis@cpp.edu) and Salvador Valdez-Ono (svaldezo@umd.edu)

OVERVIEW
This field class will take place at Amache National Historic Site, a former World War II-era Japanese American confinement camp located in southeastern Colorado, and its associated museum. It is particularly appropriate for students who are interested in community-based research and are prepared to engage with sensitive issues around a difficult heritage. With remnant landscaping, largely intact building foundations, scattered surface artifacts, and both formal and informal trash dumps, the site retains significant archaeological integrity. That integrity and its important role in global history is reflected in its new status within the US National Park system.

Since 2008, Dr. Bonnie Clark has led a community-collaborative biennial field school at Amache in both archaeology and museum studies. The field school works closely with the former incarceree and Japanese American community and the Amache Preservation Society, a volunteer organization associated with the Granada High School, to preserve and document the site and associated museum collections. Students will work with volunteers and high school interns who have a personal or family tie to Amache, as well as members of the local community.

Each year work conducted by the field school helps answer central research questions about daily life in Amache, place-making by those forced to live there, and heritage management. To answer these research questions, students participate in archaeological survey, targeted excavations, and work in the Amache museum which maintains a collection of objects and primary materials associated with Amache. During the four-week 2024 field school, crews will spend half of their mornings surveying the site and
the other half conducting targeted excavations of gardens and landscape features constructed by incarcerees. Students in the field school will also have the opportunity to develop an individual project.

ACADEMIC CREDIT UNITS & TRANSCRIPTS
Credit Units: Attending students will be awarded 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 9 quarter credit units) through our academic partner, Connecticut College. Connecticut College is a highly ranked liberal arts institution with a deep commitment to undergraduate education. Students will receive a letter grade for attending this field school (see assessment, below). This field school provides a minimum of 360 hours of experiential education. Students are encouraged to discuss the transferability of credit units with faculty and registrars at their home institution prior to attending this field school.

Transcripts: An official copy of transcripts will be mailed to the permanent address listed by students on their online application. One more transcript may be sent to the student’s home institution at no cost. Additional transcripts may be ordered at any time through the National Student Clearinghouse.

PREREQUISITES
Students in this field school will be embedded in two communities; the survivor and descendants of Amache and the local town of Granada. Your participation is precipitated on their good will and your respect. Thus, we ask that all students prepare with readings about the history of Japanese American incarceration and the site of Amache and participate in a zoom discussion of those readings. However, to succeed in a field situation you should be able to work well with a team in outdoor and changing conditions.

FLORIDA

Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, St. Augustine, FL
Nation’s Oldest Port® Underwater Archaeology Field School

At the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, we provide professional and educational maritime archaeology training every summer through ourNation’s Oldest Port® Field School.

Field school is an irreplaceable component in the education of any student pursuing a career in archaeology. Each year, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) oversees an intense, four-week accredited educational program allowing both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in active maritime archaeological research along the First Coast, here in St. Augustine and the surrounding region.

In addition to methodological training and academic lectures, students get valuable real-world experience in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork, scientific diving, seamanship, and laboratory analysis. LAMP has partnered with a variety of universities, including Flinders University, Florida State University, Syracuse University, and Plymouth State University to organize and implement this four-credit course.Please see below for information on the upcoming 2024 field school.

Applications for 2024 are CLOSED. Unfortunately, due to the delayed timeline in the construction of our new Field House Facility, we will not be holding a 2024 Field School.

2024 Summer Interns for Current Undergraduate and Graduate Students

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student and would like some internship experience, we will be accepting one or two either underwater or terrestrial LAMP Interns in 2024. Please note that there is no compensation for this position, and housing is not provided.

For questions, please email LAMP at the contact information below.

Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program
81 Lighthouse Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32080
lamp@staugustinelighthouse.org
Phone: 904-829-0745, ext. 203

HAWAI’I

HAWAII INDIGENOUS ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL: BRIDGING PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Foothill College and Stanford University Hawai’i Program
Program dates: August 1-21, 2024
Program website: https://sites.google.com/view/hawaiifieldschool/home

Aloha and E Komo Mai to the Hawaii Indigenous Archaeology Field School. Our anthropology studies begin during the summer quarter. If you want more information contact either Sam or Mike at Foothill College or Stanford University. A more complete website can be found here. Interested? Fill out the Prelim Application here.

• Discover with us the beauty of Hawaii as we start our community based research project.
• Live with us and other project members in Hawaiian communities.
• Work on all aspects of the research project.

Project Directors

Dr. Michael Wilcox (Stanford University)
Dr. Samuel Connell (Foothill College)

Field School Application: You can download the application from the project website and there should be a link provided in a drop down menu on this page.

Field School Description

Come to Hawaii and experience a field school like none other. You will live on the Big Island for three weeks. You will be exposed to a new way of thinking mixing an applied anthropological and an archaeological field school. Join us on the ground for the first of many years in Hawaii, beginning with the program at Kaloko Fishpond which is jointly administered by the National Park Service and native Hawaiian cultural groups. Check out the website here. And here is a cool article from the NPS about the park.

This is a project that practices indigenous archaeology and community based participatory research meaning that we shift the traditional model for research, asking native people who live in Hawaii what they want us and you (the students) to do. If it’s helping to map archaeology sites by surveying, then we do it, if it’s also cleaning and rebuilding a royal Hawaiian fishpond, then we do it; if it’s organizing an exhibit at the school, then we are working at the school; and if it means spending even more time cleaning and repairing the fishpond, then yes it’ll be the case!

We are professors Mike Wilcox and Sam Connell, and we are just as excited as our students to get this program off and running in Hawaii. The idea here is to do research in a pono or Hawaiian way, meaning we will live and breathe local thinking as we learn about the life and history of these amazing islands. The team of people from whom you will learn is going to be growing over the next months, but let us start by introducing our two main contributors, Ruth Luka Aloua and No‘eau Peralto, both of whom are expert cultural practitioners who have thought long and hard about the best way to teach about Hawaii and also study her history and people. We are so excited to be working with them and bringing you along for the ride.

What does this all mean for you the student? Well you get over 60 years of field experience working on field projects with over 500 students in Ecuador, Belize, Ireland, California and New Mexico. The move to Hawaii will be exciting. The aloha spirit is truly special and we can’t wait for you to become a part of it. Come to the islands, earn credits, and begin helping us study the culture and society of Hawaii over time.

Students will live in two places on the Big Island of Hawaii. First we will be staying in coffee plantation country near the town of Holualoa. Kona is 15 minutes away. The last we will be Honokaa another great town on the Hamakua coast. Check out this small guide from the Hawaii magazine. We think it is important to base in a community and meet the people as we begin to understand the local life. We are taking as a model what we have been doing in Ireland and Ecuador, so check the links for past examples.

ILLINOIS

APPLIED ARCHAEOLOGY FOR CAREERS IN CRM (CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT) (Kampsville, Illinois)

Dates:
Session I: May 4 to May 31, 2025 Application deadline: March 21, 2025

Session II: Sept 21 to Oct 18, 2025

Students may enroll in one of the two sessions for 8 academic credits.

Project syllabus with full details: Session I Syllabus , Session II Syllabus

NOTE: This program is designed to train students in Cultural Resource Management (CRM) careers. Students seeking academic careers are welcomed but should be aware that this program strongly emphasis survey and legal compliance of CRM work.

OVERVIEW

This program is a four-week, intensive field school experience designed to provide students with job-ready skills to enter the workforce as archaeological field technicians in the Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeology industry. Students will learn key skills necessary for CRM archaeology jobs, including survey, surface collection, shovel testing, excavation, laboratory techniques, relevant laws, and reporting. Students will learn the entire process of CRM archaeology practices, from data collection to data reporting and mitigation. Practical field and laboratory activities are supplemented by relevant readings and formal lectures.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This program is a four-week, intensive field school experience designed to provide students with jobready skills to enter the workforce as archaeological field technicians at the Cultural Resource Management (CRM)

industry. Students will learn key skills necessary for CRM jobs, including survey, surface collection, shovel testing, excavation, laboratory techniques, relevant laws, and reporting. Students will learn the entire process of CRM practices, from data collection to data reporting and mitigation. Practical field and laboratory activities are supplemented by relevant readings and formal lectures.

This program takes place in rural Illinois, where CRM work must take into consideration vegetation, farming cycles, seasons and stakeholder sensitivities. Knowledge acquired in this program can be used for CRM work across the U.S. but will be of primary relevance for CRM work in similar landscapes and environmental conditions. proper techniques to investigate similar landscapes.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objective of this program is to prepare students to enter the archaeological workforce in field technician positions in public and private CRM crews. This objective is accomplished by providing students with (1) practical experience in field and laboratory methods necessary for detecting and documenting archaeological sites, (2) instruction in the legal and consultation requirements of cultural resource management, and (3) experience in reporting of archaeological fieldwork.

Students will engage in surface survey, shovel testing, and excavation at archaeological sites in the Lower Illinois River valley, documenting their fieldwork in preparation for interpretation and reporting. Students also participate in the cleaning, tabulation, and curation of archaeological material collected during their field experiences.

DIRECTORS
Dr. Jason L. King, Executive Director, Center for American Archeology (jking@caa-archeology.org)
Mr. Don Booth, Field School Director, Center for American Archeology (dbooth@caa-archeology.org)

KANSAS

ETZANOA ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL, Arkansas City, Kansas

Dates: June 2 to June 27, 2025 Application Deadline: Feb. 14, 2025

Project website: https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_las/anthropology/archaeology/etzanoa_field-school.php

Project videos: https://youtu.be/ban8Gn5fpPg and https://youtu.be/SwK-r_o-LmY https://youtu.be/SwK-r_o-LmY

OVERVIEW

Located near the mouth of the Walnut River at Arkansas City, Kansas, Etzanoa is a pericolonial Ancestral Wichita town, likely visited by the Spanish Onate expedition in 1601 AD. This site is an active research locale with promise to answer questions about ancestral Wichita lifeways and exchange systems right before and during early European colonization. Students will gain the basic skills necessary for employment in cultural resource management fields and archaeology broadly.

Etzanoa yields pottery, finely crafted chipped and ground stone artifacts, and animal bone tools. Students will learn how to identify, handle, and curate artifacts, including specimens selected for microfossil and other residue analysis. Eyewitness accounts of the Spanish expedition to Etzanoa in 1601 can be accessed here and recent published work can be accessed here.

Etzanoa is the focus of a major public archaeology project that involves a local conservancy, the town, a local community college, the local school district, Wichita State University, and of course the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. As a result, and students will participate in a public event at the end of the season.

Digital Archaeology Workshop

In addition to the traditional archaeological field school, we are excited to host an additional workshop in digital archaeological recording and analysis, taught by Dr. Matthew Howland. Students taking this one-credit option for the field school will develop skills in digital archaeological recording and analysis, in addition to the regular field school curriculum. Students will learn to design digital GIS field recording forms and use them to collect and analyze spatial data. Students will also be trained in the application of 3D technologies in archaeology. This will include practical experience in recording 3D models of archaeological features using ground-based 3D techniques and aerial photography with a UAV. This one credit course will culminate in an independent digital archaeology project based on data collected in the field.

Logistics

The Field School will run from Monday, June 2nd through Friday, June 27th, 2025. Students should plan to be in Arkansas City, Kansas, by noon for orientation. Excavation days will be Mondays-Fridays, with weekends off. Students will be housed in single-occupancy dormitories on the Cowley Community College campus. Parking is safe and free. Students will need to bring linens, toiletries, and clothing; all excavation tools will be provided. The Paris Park Pool is within easy walking distance of the dormitory. Transportation to/from the site will be provided and we can arrange for airport pick-up from Wichita for students travelling from out-of-state.

Costs

Students are required to register for field school under ANTH690 under Dr. Dozier for 4 credit hours. Those enrolling in the Digital Archaeology Workshop will enroll for an additional 1 credit hour of ANTH690 under Dr. Howland.

Undergraduate Tuition & Fees (Resident): ~$1,100 ($1,375 including Workshop)

Graduate Tuition & Fees (Resident): ~$1,440 ($1,805 including Workshop)

Room & Board: ~$855

Excavation equipment is provided. Rooms are provided over the weekend. Meals are provided from Monday breakfast to Friday lunch. Students have free weekends, and many go to Wichita on Friday evenings.

*Do note that these are in-state estimates. Many neighboring states and states along the I-35 corridor are considered in-state and have reduced tuition, but check your exact rates here. Field school costs are subject to change. Scholarships may be available but will not be confirmed until May.

To Apply

Review of applications will be bein after Friday, February 14, 2025, after which all applicants will be emailed for further information. Registration will be filled by priority first to WSU students by seniority and interest in the Workshop, and then first-come first-serve to guest students. Accepted students will have until April 15 to register for the course, at which time we will open for students on the waitlist.

Apply Here

Non-WSU (Wichita State University) students will have to be accepted to either the College of Liberal Arts (undergraduate) or the Graduate School (graduate) prior to registration. We will walk you through the process of registration once you have been accepted into the field school. Only the first 20 students to confirm registration will be admitted.

UTAH

ZOOARCHAEOLOGY AND FIELD ECOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Program Dates: May 5-May 31, 2025

For full details, see program website https://anthro.utah.edu/fieldschools/zooarchaeology_fieldschool.php

Zooarchaeology is an interdisciplinary subfield of archaeology focused on the analysis of animal remains from archaeological contexts to address questions involving past

human foraging behavior, paleoecology, and paleoclimate. The foundation of this research is the identification of archaeological vertebrate bones and teeth but much of the meaning of those data resides in knowledge about the behavior, ecology, and natural history of the identified species. This novel, hands-on, laboratory- and field-based course is designed not only to train students in the identification and analysis of fragmentary vertebrate remains but to provide them with a rich background in the natural history of vertebrate animals that is essential to conducting zooarchaeological research. Unlike any other archaeological field experience, students will gain expertise in the identification of fragmentary vertebrate remains from archaeological contexts in the western U.S. and at the same time be immersed through daily field trips in the natural history and ecology of local vertebrate animals in a remote and scenic setting in Range Creek Canyon, Utah. Topics that will be covered include foraging theory, prey choice, the nature of the archaeofaunal record, units of quantification, taphonomy, ecological concepts and theory, vertebrate taxonomy and natural history, and skeletal preparation. Students gain additional experience in archaeological vertebrate identification and analysis through the completion of a problem-oriented research project based on the analysis of one of several provided faunal assemblages from sites in western North America. Students attend and present their research at the 19th Annual Zooarchaeology Conference held at the Range Creek Field Station the last day of the field school and thus attain invaluable experience in delivering professional conference presentations as well as the opportunity to network with prominent zooarchaeologists.

Course Structure and Organization:

The course will begin (May 5-9) with five-day intensive introduction to zooarchaeology, vertebrate osteology, and natural history by zoom. Students will then meet in Salt Lake City (May 12) and we will proceed from there on a 6-day camping field trip across the state of Utah. We will explore many of the most important archaeological sites in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau (e.g., Danger Cave, Hogup Cave, Lakeside Cave, Homestead Cave, Cowboy Cave, Sudden Shelter, Bonneville Estates Rockshelter) and study the different habitats and vertebrate faunas of the regions. We will then stay for the remainder of the course (May 18-30) at the remote and scenic Range Creek Field Station in eastern Utah with continued field and lab studies and lectures on various topics in zooarchaeology. Students will complete a problem-oriented research project at the field station and present an oral presentation on that work at a conference on May 30. We depart on May 31.

Enrollment limited. Application (see below) is required. Students enroll in University of Utah, Anthropology 5712-section 2; (Field Methods: North America). 6 semester credit hours. Click here for course syllabus.

See a review of this field school on Archaeodirt: http://archaeodirt.weebly.com/field-school-reviews/category/zooarchaeology

Contact Jack Broughton (jack.broughton@anthro.utah.edu) for more information.

Jack M. Broughton (Ph.D. University of Washington, 1995) is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah where he teaches archaeology, osteology, and zooarchaeology. His research focuses on hunter-gatherer zooarchaeology and prehistory in western North America and the application of behavioral ecology to archaeological issues. Jack is passionate about zooarchaeology and natural history and has been involved in developing and teaching this course since its inception in 1988. He is also the author of Zooarchaeology and Field Ecology: A Photographic Atlas, a publication that was created specifically as a text for this unique course.

Course Instructors:
Jack M. Broughton (Ph.D. University of Washington, 1995) is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah where he teaches archaeology, osteology, and zooarchaeology. His research focuses on hunter-gatherer zooarchaeology and prehistory in western North America and the application of behavioral ecology to archaeological issues. Jack is passionate about zooarchaeology and natural history and has been involved in developing and teaching this course since its inception in 1988. He is also the author of Zooarchaeology and Field Ecology: A Photographic Atlas, a publication that was created specifically as a text for this unique course.

Isaac A. Hart (Ph.D. University of Utah, 2017) is a Post-Doctoral Zooarchaeological Research Fellow at the Department of Anthropology, University of Utah. His research focuses on the archaeology of western North America and Mongolia and paleoenvironmental reconstruction and prehistoric human subsistence based on the analysis of archaeological vertebrates, geological sediments, and fossil pollen. Isaac has been with the field school program for over a decade.

VIRGINIA

MONTICELLO-UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL: ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHESAPEAKE LANDSCAPE AND SLAVERY

Date: June 2 to July 11, 2025 (Application deadline: April 4, 2025)


Project website: https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-scholars/archaeology-daacs/archaeological-field-school/

Project video: https://youtu.be/Kb5MjFdleIE

Monticello’s Department of Archaeology and the University of Virginia offer a six-week archaeological field school at Monticello. The field school provides six credits through the University of Virginia’s College of Arts and Sciences. The Monticello-UVA Field School accepts applications from undergraduate students as well as postgraduates. A current or previous affiliation with UVA is not required to attend.

Space is limited to ten students. Please be sure to have all application materials submitted by deadline: April 4, 2025.

The Program

The Monticello-UVA Field School offers a hands-on introduction to basic excavation, recording, and laboratory techniques in archaeology. The course emphasizes a scientific, multidisciplinary approach to doing landscape archaeology. It also provides the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research into the ecological and social dynamics that unfolded on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Plantation in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Technical topics covered include survey and excavation strategies as well as the analytical possibilities for ceramics, faunal remains, plant phytoliths and pollen, deposits and the sediments they contain, soils, and spatial distributions of artifacts across sites and larger landscapes.

Guest lecturers are drawn from a variety of disciplines including archaeology, geology, ecology, paleoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, and history based on documents and oral testimony. On-site instruction, lectures, and discussion sessions at Monticello will be complemented by field trips to related sites. Students will attend classes forty hours per week, with the bulk of that time spent working in the field and the lab. Reading assignments, lectures, and discussion sessions will cover both technical and historical issues.

Research Focus

Our fieldwork addresses changing patterns of land use and settlement on Thomas Jefferson’s, Monticello Plantation from c. 1750 to 1860, along with their ecological and social causes and consequences. Toward the end of the 18th century, spurred by shifts in the Atlantic economy, Thomas Jefferson and planters across the Chesapeake region replaced tobacco cultivation with a more diversified agricultural regime, based around wheat. Our research is revealing the enormous implications of this shift for what the landscape looked like and how enslaved African-Americans worked and lived on it. Significant questions remain about the ecological processes that were unleashed, how they were experienced by slaves and slave owners, and the importance of changing slave work routines in explaining social dynamics among enslaved and free people.

Requirements
The course does not assume students have previous archaeological field experience. An introductory course in archaeology will be helpful but is not mandatory. Archaeological fieldwork is very demanding. Students should be in good physical condition and enjoy sustained, strenuous teamwork.

Tuition Subsidies and Stipends from Monticello

Tuition rates are set by the University of Virginia and vary by residency status See this link for details: https://summer.virginia.edu/tuition-and-fees-2025.

All students accepted into the field school will receive a tuition subsidy from Monticello worth half the UVA-mandated tuition. Taking into account this subsidy, tuition for 6 credits is $1,410 for undergraduates and $1,653 for graduate students who are Virginia residents. For non-residents, tuition is $5,208 for undergraduates and $3,351 for graduate students.

In addition to the tuition subsidy, each student will receive a $1,000 stipend to help with the remaining tuition and expenses.

Room and Board

Air-conditioned housing at the University of Virginia is available to Students at an estimated cost of $43 per night or roughly $301 per week for a single room. Meals are available at an additional cost through University dining services, or students can choose to prepare their own meals. Numerous summer sublets are also available in Charlottesville, but students will need to make their own arrangements.

To Apply

Send a one-page cover letter that outlines your interest in archaeology and a CV or resume that contains the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references. The application deadline is April 4, 2025. Please email your application to fieldschool@monticello.org.

For further information about archaeological research at Monticello, visit our website or visit us on Facebook or contact Fraser Neiman at (434) 984-9812 or fneiman@monticello.org.

Faculty

Field School Director: Fraser D. Neiman

Field Research Manager: Crystal O’Connor

Research Archaeologist: Derek Wheeler

Curator of Archaeological Collections: Corey Sattes

VIRGINIA

JAMESTOWNE REDISCOVERY: HISTORIC JAMESTOWNE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL (Jamestown, Virginia)

Program Dates: May 28 – July 5, 2024 [Awaiting updated information for Summer 2025]

Project website: https://historicjamestowne.org/archaeology/archaeological-field-school-2024/

Project video: https://youtu.be/U4Q1qIIYVJA

Be part of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project’s ongoing mission to excavate, interpret, preserve, conserve, and research findings from the site of England’s first successful colony in North America by participating in Jamestown Rediscovery’s annual Archaeological Field School from May 28 to July 5, 2024!

The Program

Jamestown’s Field School provides a unique opportunity for students to contribute to the research and interpretation of early 17th-century English America. The Field School, jointly offered by the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation and the University of Virginia, introduces participants to the methods and theories of American historical archaeology through hands-on fieldwork. Students will be helping to expand our understanding of the site of James Fort (1607-1624). Throughout the Field School, students will learn excavation and recording procedures and identify and interpret 17th-century European and First People’s artifacts. In addition, the Field School will include field trips and weekly seminars exploring recent contributions of historical archaeology to colonial history, new field recording and interpretation methods, and a survey of the recent literature in the discipline. Both novice and experienced students will learn practical archaeological skills and the course is also an excellent educational opportunity for teachers seeking recertification in the social studies content area.

Course Requirements

Field School Director: David M. Givens, MA.

Students will be required to attend classes 40 hours a week (Monday-Friday), with most of that time spent on-site working on the excavation. Strenuous daily activities will require physical endurance and excellent health. Students also will spend time processing and learning to identify artifacts from the early Anglo-American settlement period in the Jamestown Rediscovery laboratory. Students will be required to keep a journal of their field, lab, and seminar work.

Upon completing this course, participants will receive six graduate credits (Anthropology 5589) from the University of Virginia. Students who transfer credits must make arrangements directly with their college or university. Educators wishing to apply this course toward recertification must obtain prior approval from their school systems. See below for 2024 tuition rates and fees as well as information on housing.

Application and Selection Process

To apply, please submit an application form (download application form); a résumé; a statement of personal and professional reasons for wanting to participate in the Jamestown Archaeological Field School; any other evidence of a well-rounded personality, the ability to work with others, and physical fitness; and two recommendation letters (download recommendation form). Current or previous affiliation with the University of Virginia is not required to attend the Field School. Completed applications must be received by April 5, 2024 (if you cannot make this deadline, please contact the staff).

Applicants will be selected based upon a review of their résumé, application form, statement of personal and professional reasons for wanting to attend the school, and recommendations. Applicants will be notified no later than April 26, 2024 (In some cases, early acceptance may be granted if required by the applicant).

2024 Tuition Rates and Fees

In-State Tuition (*Virginia Residents)

• Undergraduate Students: $2,736 ($456 per credit hour)
• Graduate Students: $3,210 ($535 per credit hour)

Out-of-State Tuition (Non-Virginia Residents)

• Undergraduate Students: $5,055 ($842.50 per credit hour)**
• Graduate Students: $3,252 ($542 per credit hour)**

* Must be a US Citizen
** Tuition rates reflect a scholarship of 50% provided by the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation for out-of-state students accepted into the Field School. The University of Virginia’s current tuition is $1,685 per credit hour for out-of-state undergrad students and $1,084 per credit hour for out-of-state graduate students.

The University requires an additional off-site fee for both in-state and out-of-state students.

The University of Virginia’s tuition rates and fees list can be viewed here.

Room and Board

Jamestown Rediscovery is working with the College of William & Mary to secure local housing for interested students. Please note on your application if you would like to rent local housing through Jamestown Rediscovery, so the proper number of rooms may be secured.

Questions? Please contact the archaeology team at archaeology@preservationvirginia.org or by phone at 757-229-4997 x100.

WASHINGTON

PACIFIC NORTHWEST PRESERVATION FIELD SCHOOL

Each year the Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School (PNWPFS) attracts a range of participants, from practicing cultural resource professionals to undergraduate and graduate students, to novices with little background in the field. They all share a love for heritage and a desire to learn.

The University of Oregon’s Historic Preservation Program developed the PNWPFS to provide you with the opportunity to experience preservation firsthand.

Incoming UO Historic Preservation graduate students are required to enroll for at least one session as part of their graduation requirements.

The field school is intended for anyone interested in:

• Working in a hands-on environment
• Learning about preservation by doing it
• Seeing a spectacular part of the United States

The typical class varies in age, skill-background, and interest, but the common thread is always fun and learning.

Many of our participants have used the field school to launch into historic preservation, and many graduates of the University of Oregon’s program got their start at the Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School.

2024 PRESERVATION FIELD SCHOOL WEBSITELINK

The 2024 Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School will be held at a Washington State Park.

The exact location will be announced soon. Parks under consideration include log and stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Projects may include stone masonry repair and repointing, window assessment, repair, and reglazing, and log repair and replacement. Historic landscape survey and maintenance workshops, interpretation workshops, field trips, and evening presentations will fill out the three one-week sessions. Tentative dates are the last week of August and the first two weeks of September.

The Field School is an inclusive learning opportunity open to all, whether you have previous preservation experience or not, whatever your age or skill level. You do not need to be a student or affiliated with the University of Oregon.

If you would like to be notified when more information becomes available email us at pnwfs@uoregon.edu

For more information: pnwfs@uoregon.edu
https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/hp/field-schools/pacific-northwest-preservation-field-school/2024-pacific-northwest-preservation-field-school

Washington DC

Smithsonian Institution, Office of Internship Opportunities https://internships.si.edu/

OF MAMMOTHS AND MOUNTAINS: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 2025 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL

DATES: May 27 to July 3, 2025Application deadline: Jan. 7, 2025 or until filled

Project website: https://www.uwyo.edu/anthropology/fieldschool/wyoming-field-school.html

Project video: https://youtu.be/vG2S9kbLDlA

APPLY HERE

The University of Wyoming Archaeology Field school provides professional training in field research methods toward a career in archaeology. Students learn basic and advanced methods in archaeological fieldwork including how to identify chipped stone tools and debris, ceramic sherds, historical artifacts, faunal remains, fire-cracked rock, stone circles and fire hearths; collect sediment, radiocarbon, and flotation samples; read stratigraphic profiles; excavate; record data; read maps; use high-precision total stations, GNSS, and drones for mapping; conduct surface survey; and fill out site forms. All students receive the in-state tuition rate to earn six university credits. This year’s field program is located at the following three scenic sites in Wyoming:

• Session 1 (May 27–June 5): Colby Mammoth Site
  Near Worland, WY, students will excavate at the Colby Mammoth site where archaeologists have discovered stone-tool artifacts in possible association with at least seven mammoths that died over 12,000 years ago.
• Session 2 (June 10–19): Willow Springs stage stop

Willow Springs is a rich spring site and trading nexus near Laramie, WY. The spring appears to have been an important node in trade networks that traversed the Rocky Mountains for some 12,000 years. This year’s effort will focus on finding a lost stage stop along the historic Overland Trail. Students will be staying at the University dorm rooms during this session. This effort is being conducted in collaboration with Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist. Students will stay at the University dorms during this session.

• Session 3 (June 24–July 3): Grand Teton survey

Conduct archaeological survey in one of the nation’s most scenic landscapes–Grand Teton National Park. Students will gain training in archaeological discovery and documentation, collaborative community research, and high-altitude anthropology.

All students will live in a field camp and must provide their own basic camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.; the field school provides all kitchen and excavation gear). Participants will assist in regular camp chores (cooking, cleaning up, etc.). The work is physically demanding and takes place regardless of Wyoming’s fickle weather (which can include rain, snow and/or freezing temperatures even in summer). Students should be in good physical shape, ready to hike steep mountains under arid conditions at elevations over 5280 feet and prepared to eat and live in remote locations away from town, Internet access and cell phone connections.

We teach the field school in three 10-day sessions, separated by two, four-day intervals. Students are responsible for themselves during those four days. A 6-credit, 30-day field school is the minimal accepted standard to qualify for entry-level employment on research or Cultural Resource Management projects. Credit from the University of Wyoming field school should be transferable to any academic institution and fulfill the field school requirement of any CRM company.

We accept 15 students for the field school and welcome applications from students at any educational level or from any background. We do, however, give preference to those students majoring in anthropology, who seek a career in archaeology, and who have taken at least one archaeology course. The field school is a good place to discover if a career in archaeology is the right place for you.

The Anthropology Department offers multiple archaeological field schools to students with different levels of archaeological expertise so please explore our other offerings as well.

Note: There will be an orientation on the morning of May 27 in the Frison Anthropology Building at the University of Wyoming. Non-UW students should plan to arrive in Laramie no later than May 26. Out of town students will have the option of staying the UW dorms for the second session.

Please fill out an Application Form and forward it to Dr. Randy Haas: whaas@uwyo.edu. Once decisions are made, we will forward the information needed for admission to UW and for registration for the field school.

APPLY HERE

Course Instructors:

Dr. Randy Haas, UW Faculty Archaeologist

Dr. Haas investigates forager (aka, hunter-gatherer) behavior of the past to better understand human behavior in the present. He leads archaeological excavations and survey projects in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Rocky Mountain Grand Tetons. His research explores topics of cooperation, diet, inequality, technology, and social organization in high-altitude environments.

Dr. Bree Doering, UW Faculty Archaeologist

Dr. Doering conducts her field research primarily in central Alaska and Wyoming but has also worked in Australia, Egypt, Georgia, Michigan, Madagascar, and Kodiak, Alaska. She undertakes multiscalar research projects with mixed methods that draw on traditional knowledge, zooarchaeology, isotopic dietary reconstruction, and geospatial modeling to reconstruct past adaptations to social and natural environments.

Tuition and Fees

We offer In-State Resident Tuition rates to out-of-state students.

Undergraduate tuition: $173 * 6 credit hours = $1038 Graduate tuition: $336 * 6 credit hours = $2016

Materials (equipment, food, transportation): $350*6 credit hours=$2100

Flat rate summer fee: $209.39

Per-credit-hour fee: $32 *6 credit hours=$192

Undergraduate total: $3539.39 Graduate total: $4517.39

*non-UW Admissions Fee: $40

**Cost estimates from University of Wyoming Student Fee Book FY2025.

Financial Support Opportunities

Frison Institute: https://www.uwyo.edu/anthropology/frison-institute/grants-awards.html

• WAPA & WAS: http://www.wyomingarchaeology.org/david-reiss-memorial-scholarship.html
• WyoScholarships: https://uwyo.academicworks.com/opportunities/47327
• WyoScholarships: https://uwyo.academicworks.com/opportunities/47301

JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS WITH THE U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

https://www.nps.gov/Archeology/PUBLIC/faq.htm#volunteering

Many additional paid archaeology field staff, CRM, and historic preservation positions are listed here https://archaeologyfieldwork.com/

Interested in a career in law enforcement, antiquities investigations and the international stolen art and antiquities trade?

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a separate Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Program https://www.ice.gov/investigations/cultural-property-art-and-antiquities
“U.S. federal customs laws provide HSI special agents the authority, jurisdiction and responsibility to take the leading role in criminal investigations that involve the illicit importation and distribution of stolen or looted cultural property. Through the Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities program (CPAA), HSI distributes investigative leads to special agents who work alongside international, federal, state and local partners, in addition to private institutions, to pursue individuals and networks who smuggle cultural property, art and antiquities.

HSI’s cases have included, but are not limited to, investigating and returning stolen modern art, looted sarcophagi and dinosaur fossils, and smuggled coins and ancient clay tablets.

HSI agents are trained in a partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center and the Smithsonian Institution on the identification, authentication and handling of these objects and artifacts, which supports their return to their rightful owners through cultural repatriation. Since 2009, this collaboration has resulted in the training of more than 500 law enforcement personnel including customs officers and prosecutors.

Once a cultural property investigation is complete, HSI coordinates the return of smuggled objects or artifacts to their rightful owners. Since 2007, HSI has repatriated more than 20,000 objects to more than 40 countries.”

You can see some really interesting “success stories” here https://www.ice.gov/features/cpaa which will give you a good idea of the range of their investigations.

ICE Unpaid Internships
(Note: the following information is from this link https://www.ice.gov/factsheets/student-volunteer which is several years old, so the details are likely different now. See the USAJOBS website for constantly updated information on student internships in federal agencies)

“The Student Volunteer Programoffers unpaid, professional training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate college students. These opportunities provide work experience related to the students’ academic programs and provide them an opportunity to explore career options, as well as develop their personal and professional skills. These are uncompensated positions and do not have to be announced nor do they count towards existing vacancies.

Student Volunteer service will vary by agency/office but can enrich the students’ futures by:

• Allowing career exploration early in their academic studies,
• Exposing them to new and emerging occupations,
• Giving academic credit for work they perform(this will be determined by the school), and
• Providing an experience, which will enhance their ability to obtain paying jobs in the future.

This program requires a written agreement signed by all parties, ICE, the school and the student. Presently, our student volunteer opportunities have been in the Washington, D.C. commuting area, however, there may be opportunities available in our ICE field offices. Students interested in pursuing a volunteer opportunity with ICE should coordinate with their Career Services office and the ICE Program Manager. Students must also meet the security requirements for the volunteer assignment. The minimum requirement for ICE is a pre-appointment National Agency Check with Written Inquiries for those volunteers performing “non-sensitive” duties.

If your Career Service Center does not have contact information regarding the ICE Student Volunteer Program, please e-mailjames.e.cooley@dhs.gov. We invite you to visit theUSAJOBS websitefor more detailed information regarding Federal agencies that may have current student employment opportunities. ”