2017 Public Archaeology Field School

Students in the Public Archaeology Field School will use tablet computers to record archaeological data.

NPS Photo

 

Tuesday - Saturday, June 20th-July 29th, 2017

Portland State University, Washington State University Vancouver, and the National Park Service are pleased to announce a public archaeology field school in historical archaeology at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

The award-winning program will introduce the methods and theories of fieldwork in historical archaeology, and is ideal for students considering the field of cultural resource management (CRM). Students will participate in all aspects of field and laboratory work: pedestrian and subsurface survey, laying out excavation units, excavation by shovel and trowel, mapping, drawing, digital photography, and cleaning, identifying, and analyzing artifacts. The project will use tablet computers to digitally record excavations and document grave monuments.

The season also includes lectures by guest speakers and staff.

The National Park Service and its partners are committed to sharing cultural resources and preservation values with the public. As part of their training, students will participate in a special cultural sensitivity workshop and learn how to interpret to the public using a unique public engagement model. On a rotating basis, students will discuss the field school activities with visitors, including interpreting the significance of the site and the educational purposes of the project.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is an unparalleled archaeological laboratory, comprising the remains of Fort Vancouver, the ca. 1825-1860 regional headquarters and supply depot for the Hudson's Bay Company, and Vancouver Barracks, the first (ca. 1849-2010) permanent U.S. Army post in the Pacific Northwest.

The 2017 field school will include test excavations at the national park and pedestrian and subsurface survey. Remote sensing will be demonstrated with opportunities for some hands-on work.

The field school will also continue to collect data on the Old City Cemetery (45CL887), one of the oldest cemeteries in the City of Vancouver, Washington. The cemetery has suffered from repeated vandalism and this project is collecting baseline information on headstone condition, and their styles, decorations, and inscriptions to help in its future preservation. The field school will provide a unique research context to deploy mobile information technology in a variety of field situations while providing a means to expand use of mobile devices in heritage preservation.

 

Course Registration Information

Portland State University	Washington State University - Vancouver
Anthropology 454 SIX advanced undergraduate credits	Anthropology 300 SIX undergraduate credits
Anthropology 554 SIX graduate credits	Anthropology 500 SIX graduate credits
CONTACT: Portland State University Dr. Douglas Wilson, [phone] Email Dr. Wilson For cost options, click here.	CONTACT: Washington State University - Vancouver Email Dr. Nicole Hess Contact Dr. Hess for cost options.

FOR AN APPLICATION, CLICK HERE

For early notification, please submit application by April 1, 2017.

Notification of early applicants will be by April 14, 2017.

Applications are due no later than May 1, 2017.