UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA , DULUTH

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL

SUMMER SESSION – 2008

In order to extend instruction through practical experience for interested students, the Department of Sociology/Anthropology is pleased to announce its archaeological field school.  The field school will be conducted in Northeastern Minnesota in conjunction with the Boulder Lake Environmental Center and other groups (as schedule permits).  In addition to offering instruction in basic archaeological field methods, the field school will offer students with the opportunity to become acquainted with the concepts and federal legal requirements in the field of Cultural Resource Management.

 

Academic Objectives:

Archaeology is basically a series of techniques and methods for finding and recovering information about past peoples.  At UMD, we employ these methods and techniques in dealing with questions about past behavior.  In other words, who was there and why were they there, and how long were they there?  Ultimately, research is directed toward the explanations of human behavior and the general and specific laws about this behavior.  These laws are applicable to present day living societies, as well as those extinct societies in the past.

The field school is designed to train students in a number of methods and techniques which are employed in the field and the laboratory, and to acquaint the student with an even broader range of specialized analysis for recovering information about the life-ways of past peoples.  Participating students will receive training in site survey and locational procedures, excavation strategy and methods, site mapping and field recording procedures, and laboratory processing and basic classification analysis.  Students will also be exposed to data collection techniques for specialized analysis in the laboratory, should such remains be encountered on our sites.

Informal discussions will be held to present the results of previous research and to explain the preliminary results of research during the course of the field school.  Students will have the opportunity to interact with professional archaeologists and other researchers involved in paleoenvironmental analysis.

 

Research Objectives

To date over 1000 archaeological sites have been located in St. Louis County , with several hundred at the Reservoir Lakes outside of Duluth .  Field school students will work in conjunction with archaeologists in both site location and evaluation efforts.

The field school will focus on three major objectives:

1)      Conduct systematic survey to discover new site locations.

-          This will entail both walkover surveys and shovel testing

2)      Evaluate known archaeological sites as to eligibility for the National

Register of Historic places. 

This will entail formal excavation to determine cultural affiliation and integrity, e.g., what cultural periods are these sites associated with, and have these sites been impacted or destroyed through erosion and/or natural forces, or do the sites still retain integrity?

3)      Learn background and laboratory procedures in order to properly interpret the field work.

-          This will entail classroom instruction in Federal and State laws, known history of northeastern Minnesota , and laboratory procedures of accessioning and analysis.

The survey and excavation training will expose students to a variety of field experiences and archaeological materials, as well as projects, all of which are essential to the learning mission of the field school.

The field school is a research situation, as well as a learning experience, and the standard classroom protocol does not work well in this situation.  Each student will be regarded as a research assistant in the field, as well as the laboratory.  Everyone will be on a first name basis and academic titles are never used.

 

Arrangements:

All will be expected to abide by University and other laws and regulations applicable to the University of Minnesota .  Drugs of any nature, unless accompanied by a MD prescription, will not be tolerated.  Should this occur, the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the full extent.

Tuition is directly paid through registration.  Students are responsible for their own accommodations during the field school but transportation to field sites may be available based on the outcome of grant applications. 

The work schedule will vary throughout the field school depending on project scheduling.  In general, it will entail 40 hours per week scheduled for a 4-5 day period consisting of day trips from Duluth .  Details will be settled before the start of the field season and a schedule will be handed out in advance.  Any special arrangements that need to be made because of prior commitments (family, employment, etc.) will be done on an individual basis.

 

Climate and Equipment

The climate of the area is quite variable during the summer, with average daytime highs in the 70s although July has seen days in the high 90s.  Evening temperatures are usually in the low 60s, although it is not unusual for evenings to drop into the low 40s, especially in June.  Clothing should be appropriate for these climatic extremes.

Students are encouraged to bring a wool shirt, hat and socks that will provide warmth on inclement days or evenings.  Students must bring rain gear.  A rain jacket with hood and rain pants will keep you the driest and warmest.  Hypothermia is always a concern, especially when the temperature drops into the 50s or low 60s, as body temperature is rapidly lost when one gets wet at these temperatures. This is a concern especially when we work in the Wilderness because shelter will not be readily available during a sudden cloudburst.

For survey work, over the ankle boots with non-skid soles is recommended.  These will help prevent the chances of a sprained ankle and other injuries caused by slipping on the wet forest floor or ledge rock surfaces.  Make sure they are comfortable, as a considerable amount of walking over uneven surfaces will be required during survey.

A soft sole shoe will be required for the excavation portion of the field school.  This is to reduce possible impact to the archaeological sites, since most are contained in shallow soils over bedrock subsurface.

Wood ticks and Black Flies are present during the early summer months.  Deer Flies, Horse Flies and Sand Flies are most abundant during July and August.  Mosquitoes may be present, especially in early morning and the evening, and Wasps and Hornets during the day.  Please indicate on your application if you are allergic to any of these things, or have any other allergy.  This will not influence your acceptance to the field school, but is only to alert staff of the conditions that may affect your safety.

Specific Information (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

The field school will offer 6 undergraduate upper division credits.  We will begin on June 23 and go for 6 straight weeks ending on August 1 (the regular summer session).  [Anyone wishing to register for less than 6 weeks should discuss this option with the instructor first.]  Students should register for Anthropology 4696 (Field Research in Archaeology), just as you would for any other course taken during the Summer Session. 

The first week will be orientation in the Boulder Lake Environmental Center on Boulder Lake Reservoir; car pooling will be discussed during the orientation meeting.  This will be an informal classroom setting focussing on artifact and material identification, an overview on field methodologies and an introduction to the laws governing Cultural Resource Management.  The next 4 weeks will consist of field trips, where students will receive instruction in survey and excavation techniques.  These weeks are organized in two periods of 2 weeks each with the intervening time free.  The final week will be spent back at the Boulder Lake Environmental Center in Duluth for formal laboratory processing and analysis of artifacts recovered during the field season.

The application form is attached.  Fill it out completely.  This is not registration for the course; when you are notified of acceptance you must still register through the University procedures.  Students are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Deadline for all applications is May 23

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status no later than May 30, and more specific information will be provided.

Applications may be mailed or dropped off at the Sociology/Anthropology Department Office at UMD.  The mailing address is:

( Field School )

Sociology/Anthropology Department

228 Cina Hall

10 University Drive

University of Minnesota , Duluth

Duluth , MN 55812

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Susan Mulholland at smulholl@d.umn.edu or suemulholland@aol.com
UMD Archaeological Field School

 

Application Form

 

(Please Print or Type)

Name: _____________________________________________          Age: _____________________

Home Address: ______________________________________          Phone: ___________________

__________________________________________

School Address: _____________________________________            Phone: ___________________

___________________________________________________            Email: ____________________

Academic Standing (Circle one)                                       Cumulative GPA: ________

Freshman              Sophomore           Junior                     Senior                     Grad                       Other

(Please provide any additional information, that you feel is important, or continue listing information from this side, on the reverse side of this application.) 

 

List any courses taken or Experience related to Archaeology:

Anthropology:

Geography:

Geology/Soils:

Other Experience (Cartography, photo interpretation, avocation, etc.)

 

Medical Information

(This will not affect your acceptance to the Field School )

Allergies___________________________________________________________________________

Food Restrictions____________________________________________________________________

Medications being taken_______________________________________________________________

Other Medical/Physical Factors

That Staff Should be Aware of? __________________________________________________________

In a short and concise essay please answer the following question.

Why do you want to participate in this Field School ?

 

 

Please Return this Application by May 23 To:

University of Minnesota , Duluth

10 University Drive

Sociology/Anthropology Department

Field School

224 Cina Hall

Duluth , MN   55812