Chinese Miners Experiences 2023 - Passport in Time
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Oregon - Rogue River-Siskiyou NF
Closed! Investigating Chinese Miners' Experiences in Josephine County
Painting of Althouse Creek in Josephine County, Oregon circa 1865
OR-4489
July 17-21, 2023
Volunteers must commit to entire session
Join us for another Chinese Diaspora project in the forests of Oregon! This PIT project, in partnership with the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology, will involve volunteers and project staff excavating and exploring a 19th-century mining site associated with Chinese miners in Josephine County. We will be working at a site believed to be one of the earliest known Chinese mining sites documented in Oregon, and is located in the area gold was first discovered in the state during the winter of 1851-1852. Volunteers will help professional archaeologists excavate the site using scientific methods to find and record archaeological data discovered during the project. Volunteers will also help perform an archaeological survey near the excavation to locate other sites associated with the mines and work camps. Data recorded during our project will be added to those previously observed during other Chinese Diaspora projects as we continue to build a broader and ever-clearer picture of the everyday lives of these immigrants and their articulations with the natural landscape and with other cultures of the area. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
Please note: We will continue to follow COVID-19 protocols. If the state requires us to wear masks, we will; currently, our mask mandates can change weekly. The health and wellness of our volunteers and staff are of the utmost importance. As a result of fluctuating regulations, our project may be subject to change.
Number of openings: 10
Special skills: Volunteers must be physically capable of hiking moderate distances each day over moderate to rough terrain, and completing repetitive tasks such as kneeling, bending, stooping, and lifting, all in a variety of weather conditions (mainly hot and dry); previous archaeological excavation, survey, and/or artifact identification (particularly Chinese) experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Tent and limited-space RV camping at nearby Forest campground; water, pit toilet; no hook-ups; Cave Junction and Kerby are full-service communities with hotel/motel, restaurants, and a range of other amenities; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, meals, and daily transportation to and from designated meeting areas
Nearest towns: Cave Junction, 18 miles; Kerby, 21 miles; Grants Pass, 47 miles
Applications due: May 8, 2023
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