[OR_Archaeology] UAF 2013 Archaeological Field School: Ice Age Archaeology at Mead

[John Pouley]

UAF 2013 Archaeological Field School: Ice Age Archaeology at Mead

Mead site is a multi-component site with 4 occupations dating from 13,500 to 1,400 years ago, in deeply buried stratified contexts in central Alaska. Along with Broken Mammoth and Swan Point, this is one of the oldest sites in northwest North America, and in the Western Hemisphere. The presence of faunal remains, stone tools, and multiple hearth features provides an opportunity to document patterning in site use and test hypotheses about human behavior at the end of the last Ice Age and throughout the Holocene.

The 2013 excavation and field school at Mead is designed to better characterize site function and delineate site formation and activity areas. Specifically, we will focus on areas of the site where we recovered numerous faunal remains and lithic artifacts in 2009-2012. In the past two seasons, we encountered multiple hearth features with associated fauna, including (1) a pre-Clovis horizon with 3 hearths dating to 11,100-11,400 C14 BP, (2) a Younger Dryas horizon (Folsom age) with 9 hearth-related activity areas dating to 10,200 C14 BP, and (3) a middle holocene layer with an associated cache pit, the earliest of its kind in this region. All of these areas have associated well preserved faunal remains. We expect to recover numerous lithic and faunal remains in association with hearth features. This will give the students of the field school an unparalleled opportunity to participate in a cutting edge excavation of an important site, using modern archaeological equipment and techniques that will be valuable to them in their future work and classes. 

Lectures will be conducted on a regular basis on various aspects of archaeological theory, excavation practice, and analyses.  I feel that archaeological field schools should give students both hands-on practical training in excavation and laboratory techniques as well as understanding the interface between theory and practice.

Registration is open between February 25 and May 4, 2013.

How to apply:
Prospective students should be 16 or older and physically able to live and work in a remote wilderness area. You will need permission from Dr. Potter to enroll. Please send the following documents to bapotter at alaska.edu:
1. Unofficial transcript (this can be a faxed printout or electronic document)
2. One academic reference letter (please ask the referrer to email Dr. Potter a brief letter of support for your participation).

Course Costs
We are pleased to announce external funding support from the National Science Foundation for this field school. This results in no field course fees for students (only tuition, which is in-state).

More information can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/dr-ben-a-potter/2012fieldschool

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There will also be opportunities for those students interested in continuing archaeological experiences in Alaska, including a helicopter-based survey in the White Mountains in early July, and the Upward Sun River excavation in late July/August.

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Dr. Ben A. Potter 
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology 
University of Alaska Fairbanks 
email: bapotter at alaska.edu 
phone: (907) 474-7567 
website: http://www.uaf.edu/anthro/people/faculty/potter 
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John O. Pouley
Oregon SHPO
Assistant State Archaeologist
725 Summer St NE Suite C
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 986-0675 Office
(503) 480-9164 Cell
(503) 986-0793 Fax
john.pouley at state.or.us
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/ARCH/index.shtml
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