DESCRIPTION: Every
summer the Alutiiq Museum hosts an excavation at an archaeological site
near the town of Kodiak. Museum archaeologists choose a deposit that will
help to answer a significant question in Alutiiq prehistory while focusing
on sites that are threatened by erosion, vandalism, or modern development.
Volunteers and students are invited to join the museum in the hands-on
exploration of Alutiiq heritage and historic preservation. In 2000, this
programme received the National Award for Museum Service.
PERIOD: Ocean Bay cultural tradition,
7500 to 4000 years before the present.
COUNTRY: United States.
LOCATION: .: Kodiak is an Island
in the Gulf of Alaska. The site is Zaimka Mound, a prehistoric settlement
on the eastern shore of Womens Bay, directly opposite the Kodiak Airport,
a 30-minute drive from downtown Kodiak.
TRAVEL: Access to the island
is by plane or boat. The ferry docks downtown. Take a taxi from the airport
into town. Daily transportation between the museum and the site is provided.
Participants must arrive at the museum at 8:30 and will be returned at
17:30.
DURATION: 1 day (8hrs) to 6
weeks; July to August.
AGE: Minimum 14.
QUALIFICATIONS: No experience
WORK: Excavation, carrying and
washing sediment, mapping, and site cleaning. In the laboratory, participants
assist with washing, sorting, and labeling artefacts, drying and organising
samples, entering information into a computer database, and cleaning field
gear. 4 weeks of fieldwork followed by 2 weeks of laboratory work; Monday
to Friday, 8 hours per day.
LANGUAGE: English
ACCOMMODATION: No accommodation
provided. Motels, B&Bs, and camping are available in Kodiak. Participants
meet at the museum daily and to bring their own bag lunches.
COST: No fees are charged except
tuition for those interested in obtaining academic credit. Participants
are responsible for their room and board costs and personal expenses.
APPLICATION: Contact museum
archaeologist Patrick Saltonstall for project dates, to schedule participation,
and for academic registration procedures.
NOTES: Bring rubber boots, raingear
(Kodiak’s summer weather can be cold and rainy), gloves, kneeling pads,
and bug nets. Digging equipment is provided by the museum. Photography
is permitted. Academic credit available through the University of Alaska’s
Kodiak College. Tuition fees apply.
