Welcome to amazingly beautiful Northern California. We are excited to get this program off the ground for its second season, and you will be the first student group since 2021. We have over 100 years of previous experience running field programs all over the world, and starting a program right here in California is important to the community here, and to Foothill College where we value archaeological research, training in methods, and service leadership opportunities for our students.
The project officially starts on July 1, which is a Monday. Students are expected to be at the Foothill College Anthropology Lab for orietnation and introduction to field and lab methods. This will run three complete days before head up to the Clear Lake State Park on to begin our stay on July 4th. The bulk of students and staff will be camping at camping spots 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18, which are all connected in a big open space in the middle of the campground. If you are unable to drive to the location, we ask that you arrange transportation. There is a Facebook group page that students are using.
Unless you arrange otherwise, this will be a camp out experience for the entire 3+ weeks. The program goes for 10 days, then a 3 day break, and then 10 more days. The idea is that you arrange plans for the three day break. The program ends on July 29th.
Are you coming from out of state? We suggest travel and adventure before and after the program. Please take advantage of being out in California. We are 3 hours from San Francisco and the Bay Area, we are 2 hours from Sacramento, we are a bit more than an hour from the Pacific Coast and the incredible vistas. It is all here.
Intense technical training in archaeological method and theory, to include survey, excavation, and laboratory work. The expertise we will have at our fingertips will be incredibly valuable to students as they learn how to do fieldwork. In addition, there will be an emphasis on community participation and interaction, focusing on the idea of service learning and leadership. Each student will be asked to do their own Student Independent Pilot Project (SIPP) which can be anything at all they desire to study and do. A short write up is required following the program. We have found that these independent research project, with guidance from scholars, provides incredibly rich learning experiences for students. Many of our students on past projects have gone on to succeed in anthropology and other fields. The types of past projects include, studying pottery, looking a graffiti on walls, understanding indigenous technologies. You name it, anything is possible to study.
Cabins may be available
Local hotels are available at an extra charge
Equity minded program of study
Nightly lectures
Field trips
Breakfast 6-7:30
Work 8-2 (Lunch at 11 or 12?)
Afternoon field trips
Dinner at 7pm
Evening Lectures/Events - drive in movie theater etc.