Of Mammoths and Mountains
The University of Wyoming Archaeology Field school provides professional training
in field research methods toward a career in archaeology. Students learn basic and
advanced methods in archaeological fieldwork including how to identify chipped stone
tools and debris, ceramic sherds, historical artifacts, faunal remains, fire-cracked
rock, stone circles and fire hearths; collect sediment, radiocarbon, and flotation
samples; read stratigraphic profiles; excavate; record data; read maps; use high-precision
total stations, GNSS, and drones for mapping; conduct surface survey; and fill out
site forms. All students receive the in-state tuition rate to earn six university
credits. This year's field program is located at the following three scenic sites
in Wyoming:
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Session 1 (May 27--June 5): Colby Mammoth Site
Near Worland, WY, students will excavate at the Colby Mammoth site where archaeologists
have discovered stone-tool artifacts in possible association with at least seven mammoths
that died over 12,000 years ago.
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Session 3 (June 24--July 3): Grand Teton survey
Conduct archaeological survey in one of the nation's most scenic landscapes--Grand
Teton National Park. Students will gain training in archaeological discovery and documentation,
collaborative community research, and high-altitude anthropology.
All students will live in a field camp and must provide their own basic camping gear
(tent, sleeping bag, etc.; the field school provides all kitchen and excavation gear).
Participants will assist in regular camp chores (cooking, cleaning up, etc.). The
work is physically demanding and takes place regardless of Wyoming's fickle weather
(which can include rain, snow and/or freezing temperatures even in summer). Students
should be in good physical shape, ready to hike steep mountains under arid conditions
at elevations over 5280 feet and prepared to eat and live in remote locations away
from town, Internet access and cell phone connections.
We teach the field school in three 10-day sessions, separated by two, four-day intervals.
Students are responsible for themselves during those four days. A 6-credit, 30-day
field school is the minimal accepted standard to qualify for entry-level employment
on research or Cultural Resource Management projects. Credit from the University of
Wyoming field school should be transferable to any academic institution and fulfill
the field school requirement of any CRM company.
We accept 15 students for the field school and welcome applications from students
at any educational level or from any background. We do, however, give preference
to those students majoring in anthropology, who seek a career in archaeology, and
who have taken at least one archaeology course. The field school is a good place to
discover if a career in archaeology is the right place for you.
The Anthropology Department offers multiple archaeological field schools to students
with different levels of archaeological expertise so please explore our other offerings
as well.
University of Wyoming Archaeology Field School
Note: There will be an orientation on the morning of May 27 in the Frison Anthropology
Building at the University of Wyoming. Non-UW students should plan to arrive in Laramie
no later than May 26. Out of town students will have the option of staying the UW
dorms for the second session.
Please fill out an Application Form and forward it to Dr. Randy Haas: whaas@uwyo.edu. Once
decisions are made, we will forward the information needed for admission to UW and
for registration for the field school.
Course Instructors:
Dr. Haas investigates forager (aka, hunter-gatherer) behavior of the past to better
understand human behavior in the present. He leads archaeological excavations and
survey projects in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Rocky Mountain Grand Tetons. His
research explores topics of cooperation, diet, inequality, technology, and social
organization in high-altitude environments.
Dr. Doering conducts her field research primarily in central Alaska and Wyoming but
has also worked in Australia, Egypt, Georgia, Michigan, Madagascar, and Kodiak, Alaska.
She undertakes multiscalar research projects with mixed methods that draw on traditional
knowledge, zooarchaeology, isotopic dietary reconstruction, and geospatial modeling
to reconstruct past adaptations to social and natural environments.
Tuition and Fees
We offer In-State Resident Tuition rates to out-of-state students.
Undergraduate tuition: $173 * 6 credit hours = $1038
Graduate tuition: $336 * 6 credit hours = $2016
Materials (equipment, food, transportation): $350*6 credit hours=$2100
Flat rate summer fee: $209.39
Per-credit-hour fee: $32 *6 credit hours=$192
Undergraduate total: $3539.39
Graduate total: $4517.39
*non-UW Admissions Fee: $40
Financial Support Opportunities
APPLY HERE
