Archaeology Summer Field School
Schoharie, New York
Don't
Let this happen to you!
Update, February, 2009:
We are in the process of planning our 2009 summer field
season for the Schoharie Valley field school. Registration
for the field school begins on March 31st. Interested students
should email Sean Rafferty
to get their name on a waiting list. We are limited to approximately
20 students a season, and the list fills up fast, so get
your name in soon! Once advanced registration begins, we
will be in touch with studetns on the waiting list with
permission numbers and course information. General information
on the course is available below.
Refer to our picture page
for images from previous excavations.
Click here to learn about the Pethick Site.
Click here for original t-shirt art from the 2004 season.
Sean M. Rafferty
Anthropology Department
University at Albany, SUNY
Course Description:
The archaeological field school is an eight week program designed to teach students the basics of archaeological field work, laboratory processing, and artifact analysis. Students will spend most of their time in the field; there will be a two week classroom session at the beginning of the program, where basic archaeological concepts will be discussed. In addition to field and classroom work students will also have scheduled lab sessions; days with inclement weather will also be spend in the lab.
The field school will be conducted at the Pethick
site, a prehistoric Native American site that dates
to approximately between 1,500 B.C. and AD 1500. Previous
excavations at this site have uncovered numerous stone and
ceramic artifacts, as well as the remains of ancient fire
hearths, storage pits and house outlines. Excavations at
the Pethick site are a copperative endeavor between the
Department of Anthropology and
the New York State
Museum.
There are no required texts for the course. Excavation equipment will be provided. Work gloves and sturdy shoes or boots are highly recommended. Sun block, insect repellant, long-pants, and water are also recommended. Students are responsible for bringing their own lunch as it will be difficult to leave the site for meals.
This course is intended for students planning a career in archaeology; however, students who are not planning on future archaeological work will also find the course a rewarding experience, and are encouraged to attend. Successful completion of the course will allow students to seek employment at private or public contract archaeology firms throughout the United States.
