Students

We will introduce you to the program of on the Canvas teaching platform the weekend before the field program begins. However, I can include here a copy of the syllabus from the classes.

Foothill College Field Classes general Syllabus

Spring 2022

Professors: Samuel Connell, Ana González, Mike Wilcox

Email: Use Canvas messaging or Pronto if you have any questions

For more info go to the Department of Anthropology Website (Links to an external site.)

In what ways are we staying in touch for this class for the 1 week prior to the field portion?

We send out announcements every Monday morning about the week.
We make videos and share them all the time
We give you personalized comments on assignments so make sure that your notifications are changed so you can see them (I make that an early project).
We have office hours in which you can come by and chat about anything.

Tech Help:

Technical Help with Canvas or advice is something we will all need at some point. That is why there is the Student Support Portal in the left menu. Go there for help. Try to talking to a Tech Ambassador, (Links to an external site.) they will be very helpful too.

Your Success is Important

Your success in this class is extremely important to us. This course will consist of lectures and activities, as well as assignments and readings, that are designed to increase students understanding of anthropology. At times, we all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. If you need official accommodations, you have a right to have these met. I encourage you to visit the Disability Resource Center (Links to an external site.) to determine how to receive accommodations and how you could improve your learning as well. There are also a range of resources ( additional resources) on campus, including Meeting with a Counselor (Links to an external site.), the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), and Virtual Tutoring (Links to an external site.). The best place to go is the Student Support Portal (see left hand margin) and the Student Services Center (Links to an external site.) which details so many places to help you!

Program Description

The California Field School is an intensive 11-week field field school with three combined archaeological/anthropological classes (Anth 16L, Anth 51, and Anth 57) that takes place in Portola Valley, California. The program weaves together, on a day-to-day basis, lectures, discussions, readings, fieldwork activities, excursions and hands-on practice & service learning in the fields of archaeology, cultural anthropology and applied anthropology.

During your Friday field school, you will have the opportunity to:

Join the project in the surveying, excavation and artifact analysis of a new site that we are documenting at Hawthorns Ranch.
Interact with and hear lectures from California anthropologists and archaeologists, local historians and culture experts, local artisans, youth groups, and other leaders who have dedicated their lives to preserving cultural heritage and promoting indigenous and minority rights, protecting the environment and sustainable living.
Participate in service learning projects, specifically how to best portray an archaeological project to the public.
Visit the cultural and natural wonders of the surrounding region.

Program Staff

Foothill California Program Instructors of Record:

Dr. Samuel Connell, Department of Anthropology, Foothill College

Ana Lucía González MA, Department of Anthropology, Foothill College/Cabrillo College

Dr. Michael Wilcox, Stanford University.

Program Schedule

Weekly Overview of Field Season

Pre - Field (April 3– April 7)

Students open Canvas courses and prepare for the field season.

Field Season Friday Sessions (April 8- June 17)

Meet at Foothill College room 3103, the Anthropology Lab for Orientation
Introduction to program & course components, requirements & expectations, safety & health
Introductory lectures on California archaeology and site visits
Introduction to archaeological & anthropological fieldwork theories & techniques
Break into groups for archaeological & anthropological field training rotations.
Exploration and discussion of group service learning project proposal

Standard daily schedule

Fridays

8:00 Meet at the field site or the lab (rm 3103 Foothill College)

11:00 Break for lunch

2:00 Field day complete, laboratory work begins

5:00 Day ends

Academic Objectives, Expectations and Grading

Overview, Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes

All California Program participants will enroll in the three required courses. Upon successful completion of the Foothill California Program 2022 you will have earned 4 credits through Foothill for the following courses:

ANTH 16L: Archaeology Laboratory (1 unit)
ANTH 51: Archaeology Survey (2 units)
ANTH 57: Appiled Archaeology Field Methods (1 unit)

The course objectives and your learning opportunities for each of the above courses are woven together day-to-day, often in an integrated and holistic fashion. It is absolutely essential to be present (both physically & mentally) to the best of your own individual abilities at every activity, lecture, discussion, etc., in order to receive credit for each of the courses in the program. You will also be expected to complete readings and other assignments for the above courses. If you have concerns about your ability to participate in any individual or group assigned activity, or complete one of the assignments, you must notify one of the project directors immediately. Every opportunity for flexibility and individual adaptation will be given for legitimate concerns.

It is also important to understand that while academic credit is granted on an individual basis, you are part of a larger group of faculty & students participating in multi-year research projects in a host country. You (and the group) are guests of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Your own behavior and participation will impact (positively or negatively) both the faculty and other students on the project, as well as future Foothill research projects and field schools. Please take this opportunity and responsibility seriously!

The primary academic course objectives for the Foothill California Program 2022 are the following:

Prepare students to operate in a field archaeology environment by exposing them to methods of site reconnaissance, surveying, excavation techniques, data recording, photography and drawing, and artifact analysis (ceramic typology and stone tool production experiments) in a laboratory environment;
Demonstrate to students how we interpret the past from what we find in the present by laying the groundwork for understanding the links between method and theory in archaeology;
Expose students to the nature of resistance and domination in California, thus contributing greatly to their understanding of imperial and colonial processes in the ancient and modern worlds.
Raise students’ awareness of the implications, politics and economic impact of archaeological research, discovery, analysis and interpretation on modern communities adjacent to archaeological sites;
Introduce students to the skills necessary to conduct basic ethnographic/anthropological fieldwork techniques including observation, participant observation, mapping, interviewing, photography & video, and written documentation, and ensure ethical practice of anthropological fieldwork;
Learn and successfully implement skills necessary for employment in CRM (Cultural Resource Management).

The Student Learning Outcomes are as follows:

Students will practice and apply understandings of archaeological methods and field survey in archaeology.
Students will learn how to critically analyze and interpret archaeological data, including laboratory data, gathered from fieldwork and field survey.
Students will practice and apply understandings of archaeological laboratory methods and techniques of archaeology, including cataloging, care and analysis of artifacts, bone recognition, and archaeological excavation.
Students will practice cultural relativism and apply understandings of global diversity in a practical and applied form.
Students will critically analyze and interpret anthropology data so that it can be used to apply to real-world issues.
Students will apply anthropological principles for solving human problems on the local, regional and world scales.

Expectations and Grading

As mentioned above, active (enthusiastic, engaged, and full of your best effort), respectful (of the local people and places, as well as fellow program participants and staff) and consistent (present and on time every day/every activity) participation is absolutely essential in order to maintain successful standing in the program, and receive credit for each of the courses.

In addition to participating in all fieldwork, lab work, lectures, excursions, group discussions and cultural explorations, you will also be required to complete a set of program assignments. These assignments include the following:

An archaeological and laboratory field log– all students take scientific notes on fieldwork, such as excavations and survey findings.
A practical demonstration of key archaeological excavation and survey techniques– all students will be evaluated on basic field tasks by the professors of record.
A practical demonstration of key laboratory techniques– all students will be evaluated on basic lab tasks by the professors of record.
Short exercises and assignments– students will be responsible for completing short exercises and assignments related to the archaeological and anthropological field experiences.
Participation in Canvas (pre- and post-field) and possible blog entries– Students will be required to complete short weekly program evaluations every Friday and submit occasional blog entries.

You will receive a distinct letter grade for each of the courses in which you are registered, based on successful completion of all required assignments, and full participation in all activities. All grading follows this general rule:

Field work, Lab work & Written Assignments 60 pts

Participation 40 pts

Final Course Grade 100 pts

Participation points are based on the overall involvement and contribution of the student in all aspects of the field project. Grades will be tallied based on your total points. Final grades will use +/- and will be done on the standard 90, 80, 70% scale (e.g .98>=A+, .93-.97=A, .90-.92=A-). There are no predetermined number of As and Bs.

Breakdown of point awards for assignments

Assignment

Point Award

Course

Archaeological field notes/daily log

ANTH 51

ANTH 16L

Practical demo of excavation and survey techniques

ANTH 51

ANTH 16L

Field Journal with specified entries and project submission

ANTH 57

Canvas Submissions

All

Active, Respectful and Consistent Participation

All

Texts

These are optional purchases, they all provide necessary background.

Hester, Thomas R., Harry J. Schaefer, and Kenneth L. Feder. Field Methods in Archaeology. 7th ed. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2009.

Renfrew, C., and P. Bahn. Archaeology Essentials: Theories, Methods, and Practice.3rd ed. Thames and Hudson, 2015.

Stewart, R. Michael. Archaeology: Basic Field Methods. 1st ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt, 2002.

South, Stanley. Methods and Theory in Historic Archaeology. Reprint ed. New York: Percheron Press, 2002.

King, T.F.. National Parks Service Manual. Current.

McMillon, Bill. Archaeology Handbook: A Field Manual and Resource Guide. New York: Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1991.

Critical Aspects of the Field Program

Archaeology Excavation Training

Our program provides hand-on training in archaeological survey methodology. We are currently researching the abandoned Hawthorns Ranch. Students will learn the following skills:

Stratigraphic excavation techniques
Identification of anthropogenic soil formation
Profile drawing and illustration
Soil Profile Description
Site Photography
Artifact recovery

Traditional and Geophysical Survey Methods

Our program offers a robust array of high tech equipment (Ground Penetrating Radar, GPS, DGPS, Drones/UAV, and Laser Theodolites) for students to learn and master. All of our artifacts are precisely located with a Sokkia total station, this data is incorporated into previously created maps providing a large scale model of excavations. This year our foot survey teams will extend our understanding of the stage stop site by using hand held GPS units to locate other related features.

Students have training with:

Traditional Foot Survey (GPS units, Site ID, Mapping)
Geophysical Instruments (Ground Penetrating Radar and Magnetometer, Post-processing, Interpretation)
Laser/DGPS Surveying (Datum, Topographic modeling, cartography, Database management)
Drones/UAV (Photogrammetry, Topographic modeling)
Laser Surveying (Total station mapping, database management, Topographic modeling)
GIS (Cartography, Landscape Archaeology
Software (ArcGIS, Adobe Suite)

Laboratory Methods

All artifacts, environmental samples, and data collected are processed in our field laboratory which allows students to work directly with items recovered in the field. We clean, describe, and input our information into a database. Each student rotates from the field to experience the entire process from recovery to curation. Students gain exposure to metal, ceramic, bone, and soil. We have a robust soil processing unit to capture organic samples using a floatation unit.

Student are trained in:

Curation and preservation
Flotation and soil processing
Photography
Artifact Description
Database management

Community Archaeology

The California Field School is driven by our partnership with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) which has a mission to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity, and protect and restore the natural environment, and to provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Academically speaking, the premise of the California Field School is that the construction of knowledge about the past and its use as heritage today to help illuminate pathways ahead is best served through archaeological study. The idea is relatively simple in theory, but understandably complex in practice. In short, we are seeking to conduct a research and field training program that expands the traditional archaeology project itself in favor of a fully integrative approach. This means that all stakeholders—landowners, communities, researchers and regulators— work together at all levels to develop a program that performs research, trains students and constructs interpretative materials about the ancient past and its modern heritage from the varied perspectives of each of those stakeholders.

Students are immediately drawn into the purpose of our program. We encourage all community members to work along our students, invite the village to discuss our work in evening lectures, and participate in planning heritage events. We are actively working with community organizations in leveraging our data sets and use our presence to further advance community goals.