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Based on Senior Test scores, Department ranks in 95th percentile nationally on both knowledge of Core Sociology and Critical Thinking skills |
Tyler Retherford ’11 attended the Owyhee Archaeological Field School (Washington State University) in the Summer of 2010 in southeast Oregon while he spent six weeks excavating with a few days of survey as well.
While excavating a prehistoric occupation site, the group found a wide variety of stone tools, some animal bones, and a few features. In addition to digging, Tyler learned how to take proper field notes, use a transit measuring device, and do basic lab sorting and classifying of artifacts.
Tyler writes, “I not only learned tons about what archaeological field work actually is, but also developed specific interests within the broader field which helped me decide on, and get into, WSU's graduate program. I'd strongly recommend attending an archaeological field school to anyone who is curious about if archeology is for them
Field Schools
What you need to know about Archaeological Field School Doing archaeology often means getting your hands dirty. It is difficult to teach all the practical aspects of fieldwork in a classroom. So, archaeologists regularly take students into the field to teach them about doing archaeology. There are many field schools offered around the country and around the world each year. The best field schools involve students in professional research projects.
If you think you might want to be an archaeologist or go to graduate school in archaeology, it is a really good idea to try it out and see if you like it.
Finding a field school The best place to start looking for current field school opportunities is on the Archaeological Institute of America website: http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016 On this site, you can search field school opportunities by region of the world, link to websites maintained by the researchers involved, and learn about academic expectations and costs.
There are many kinds of field schools – some are good academic experiences and others are a way for researchers to get cheap labor for their projects. Explore the options and when you have a list of field schools you’re interested in, make an appointment to talk with Dr. Johnson (ajohnson@truman.edu ) for help learning which are likely to be the most productive.
Fieldwork is hard, dirty work It is also a lot of fun, interesting and very rewarding. If you think doing archaeology will be romantic, read the “Preparing for a Dig” link on the AIA website.
Policy regarding transfer credit The Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology will accept up to 3 hrs of transfer field school credit as an elective in the major; any additional hours you earn can go to University elective credits.
Save time and hassle by filling out a “Preapproval for Transfer Credit” form, just like you would to take any other class at another institution. This way, the credit will automatically transfer when your transcript is sent to Truman.