UT-4050
March 12-16, 2012
Must commit to full session
Come to Ogden, Utah this spring for another round of artifact curation! Between 1980 and the present, several sites have been excavated on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Materials recovered during these projects have culminated into a very large collection. This collection, due to limited time and funding had not, in largest part, been properly cleaned, sorted, identified, cataloged, or curated until we began the project last year. That part of the project was a great success, but there is still much to do. Of particular note in the collection are artifacts from three important historic sites: Strawberry Valley, Forest City, and Mill Creek Commissary.
In 1888, Strawberry Valley was the location of a massive military training maneuver by troops from Fort Douglas and Fort Duchesne, UT, and Fort Bridger, WY. The collection of artifacts from this site contains some of the most significant historic archaeological finds in the state of Utah, and includes a wide range of material classes from militaria to liquor bottles. The Forest City site was a large mining camp with a diverse population in use from the 1870s into the 1880s. The artifact collection contains a significant assemblage of late 19th century artifacts that give specific and detailed insight into how people lived and worked during this time and in this locale. Finally, the Mill Creek Commissary was a large logging camp in use from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, and served as a supply point for the multitude of loggers scattered throughout the Uinta Mountains. Its collection contains an incredible amount of bottle glass accumulated from the - mostly male - population's affinity for spirits.
Once again, the goal of the PIT project will be to process, catalog, and curate the collections from these historic and several prehistoric sites. Participants will clean and catalog collections and will learn proper archaeological laboratory techniques and curation practices from Forest Service staff. Each volunteer will be exposed to every aspect of the process, so join us for a second year of fun and education through the "Boxes from the Bowels" curation project!
Number of openings: 6
Special skills: No special skills required, but applicants should be detail-oriented, organized, and possess a willingness to learn. Applicants must be physically capable of sitting and/or standing for long periods of time each day.
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Project will take place within the Archaeological Laboratory, located in the basement of the Social Sciences Building at Weber State University; restrooms and drinking water available during work hours; Ogden, Roy, and Layton are full-service communities with a full range of hotels/motels, restaurants, shopping, and other amenities; volunteers responsible for own lodging, meals, and transportation
Nearest town: This office project located in Ogden; Roy, 5 miles; Layton, 8 miles
Applications due: January 2, 2012