UW's Archaeological Field school in central Alaska (ANTH 4140)

Overview

The University of Wyoming Department of Anthropology, in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North and residents of Quartz Lake, is pleased to announce a field school to take place May 23-June 30 2023. 

This 6-credit course is intended for undergraduate majors in Anthropology and is open to students from any college or university. An Introduction to Archaeology (ANTH 1300) or Anthropology course is a prerequisite for this field school. Additional advanced classes in Anthropology are preferred, but not required.

• Credits: 6

• Total Tuition/Fees: aproximately $3,000 in tuition and fees will support lodging, food, and travel in Alaska. Travel to Fairbanks is not included (estimated cost: $500 r/t from Denver, $700 r/t from Laramie)

• Application Deadline: March 10th

• Field School Dates: May 23-June 30, 2023, plus an online pre-departure meeting in May 2023, to be scheduled.

• Students: 12 maximum (non-UW students are welcome to apply!)

What to Expect

Three 10-day sessions of archaeological fieldwork at Quartz Lake with a cohort of experienced instructors. The lake features several multicomponent sites with occupations spanning the late Pleistocene to the late Holocene. We aim to expand the central excavation area at the Bachner Site in phases, going deeper in time during each session, conduct auger tests beyond the central excavation area, and survey the lakeshore for artifacts eroding out of the lake's beaches. Students will also help to analyze finds in the field lab, including lithic material, bones, ochre, and more.

Students and instructors will camp on Quartz Lake during the field sessions. Quartz Lake is located approximately 1.5 hours from Fairbanks, Alaska. No plumbing, electricity, or reliable cellular service is available on the lake. Students should be comfortable camping and working outside in rain and sun.