Participate in an Archaeological Dig, St. Stephens, AL

The perfect volunteer vacation for the history-minded traveler

by Abu Musa | February 17, 2010

I'm certain that at some point in my childhood (probably 1981), I wanted to become an archaeologist when I grew up. Suffice to say, I didn't. But I had no idea that nearly any Tom, Dick, or Indy could roll up his sleeves and join in at archaeological digs around the country, until I read today's email announcement from the Alabama Department of Archives & History. It states, "Interested in assisting with the archaeological dig at Old St. Stephens? Contact George at ..." It was a tad cryptic, sure, but we veteran arkies knows to expect a little mystery.

A little digging (archaeology joke) led me to the web site for Old St. Stephens and a few more details. Volunteers can assist on March 6, 2010 and learn more by calling 251-460-6563. If you can't make it to St. Stephens (it's located in Southwest Alabama, just north of Mobile), I also found an event later this year in rural Louisiana. Act fast; registration ends on Monday, February 22nd.

Gardner, Louisiana: April 26-30, 2010

Other resources:

eHow has a guide to participating in a archaeological dig, though the instructions are basic and don't include a word about dodging giant boulders or choosing chalices wisely. If it piques your interest, I recommend the Archaeology Institute of America site--choose fieldwork from the navigation menu to find ongoing opportunities and fieldwork schools. I also enjoyed this Virginia blogger's reports on digs around the world.

Update, 02/25/10:

Got an email from St. Stephens with more details:

Saturday, March 6 is our next Saturday dig day

We will continue to move westward toward the kitchen. Come help us explore this uncharted territory. The yard was a center of activity. Excavation may help us define some of the specific activities that took place in the area.

I hope we have good weather, but we will work rain or shine…or cold. If the weather does not cooperate we will work in the lab. We have a number of interesting trays of artifacts to sort. Remember to bring your lunch. We have water. No experience or age limits and we provide all the equipment.

Our April dig is scheduled for the 17^th. May will be on the 15^th.

Summer Field School

During the last two weeks in May and the first two weeks in June we will have our second Old St. Stephens Field School. Last year’s was a great success. Enrollment is limited twelve and only to college students, but we can use a few experienced volunteers. Please check with me before you come. Please pass this information along to any student that might be interested.

Basically the program functions like any other serious college field school except for enrollment requirements. We do not limit enrollment to anthropology students and students need no experience or prerequisite courses. We do require that participants be a currently or recently enrolled college student. All we ask is that you be seriously interested in learning about archaeology.

In most college field schools you are required to enroll for credit with the hosting institution, pay tuition, and possibly an added out-of-state fee. This results in expensive credits. Our program does not require you to obtain credits through our university; in fact I recommend that if you need credits you arrange for a directed study through your own institution. I’ll be glad to work with you on specific requirements.

In fact, we do not require you to obtain any credit. You can simply volunteer. At least a third of the students from last year’s school participated without credit. Your participation does look good on your vita and demonstrates your interest in archaeology. You participation helps move out research forward and you join a long list of folks that have contributed to our knowledge about the lives the residents of Old St. Stephens.

Our first field school in 2009 followed this model. We had a diverse crew from several institutions including Loyola, Cornel, Central Florida, West Alabama, Alabama, and the University of South Alabama. I think this diversity added to the success of the school. We had a great crew.

Our work this summer will again focus on the Globe Hotel and residence of the Chamberlain family. Specifically, we will work in an area adjacent to the hotel. Last year we excavated trash features filled with bottles, ceramics, food remains, and other artifacts that appear to date to the hotel period (1815-1822) rather than to the Chamberlain’s occupation (1826-1849).

We work Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm with an hour break for lunch in out air-conditioned field lab. The lab also serves as our dining room and kitchen. Although we will focus most of our time on excavation we will also spend time in the lab sorting artifacts. We will have one or two evening sessions a week to discuss our work and learn more about material culture and the meaning of our artifacts. We will also have a few guest speakers and take at least one field trip.

Tuition is $250, basically covers the cost of food. We will be working hard so we will not skimp on meals. Breakfast, lunch, and hot dinners are provided each day during the week. You are welcome to have leftovers and sandwiches on the weekend. Of course you are free to take side trips, say to the beaches at Gulf Shores. The park has a great lake for swimming and fishing, lots of hiking trails, and hot showers. You will camp near the lab. Electricity is available for fans etc. We have some fans and a couple of cots for loan. We can also borrow tents so don’t go out and buy a lot of camping equipment.

We don’t have an application form. All I need is a paragraph or two telling me a bit about yourself, your experience, your career goals, and what you expect out of this experience. The work is physical so you need to be in reasonable condition. Enrollment will be limited to 12 students so email your application as soon as you can. I really don’t have a formal deadline, but I will start accepting participants in March so you can have time to plan and prepare. Email questions to George Shorter.