Field School

2009 UC Davis Archaeological Field School

June 22nd-July 31st, 2009

The 2009 UC Davis Field School will take place in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Mariposa County. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is 80 to 130 kilometers wide and extends northeast to southwest for more than 644 kilometers across eastern California.  The western slope descends gradually from mountain peaks to rolling foothills along the edge of the Central Valley.  The change in elevation creates distinct ecological zones between the mountain peaks and Valley that host a diverse array of plant and animal species. This unique area has a fascinating record of human occupation stretching from about 10,000 years ago until after Euroamerican contact.

The crew will be under the direction of Clint Cole, Becky Gilbert, and Carly Whelan and will be investigating a variety of sites in the western Sierra Nevada foothills. For the first half of the season, excavations will take place at known sites. The second half of the season will focus on survey for Early Holocene (ca. 8,000 BP) sites and steatite quarries. All directors have experience in academic and cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology, so you will gain valuable experience in both realms.

The 2009 archaeological field school will continue UC Davis' tradition of offering a well-rounded training program in archaeological field work. Students will be instructed in activities including excavation techniques, survey, lab work, cataloging and analysis. The six week course will also include guest lectures from visiting professors and other professionals.

The course will take place during UC Davis Summer Session ONE, from June 22nd-July 31st. The cost is $2002 for UC Students and $2932 for non-UC students. Students will receive 9 graded quarter units at the end of the class.