Louisiana - Kisatchie NF
Closed! Exploring and Restoring the Fish Creek Camp Site
LA-4267
October 13-18, 2015 (including weekends)
Must commit to entire session
Join us again on the Kisatchie National Forest for our next exciting PIT project! Site 16GR428, known more popularly as the Fish Creek Camp, is located on the Catahoula Ranger District in Grant Parish. The site is situated on a bluff overlooking, as the name might imply, Fish Creek: a small stream which eventually flows into Little River to the east. This site was first discovered in 1990, and was then described as a "base camp," which encompasses 7-10 acres. Base camps are thought to represent longer term, seasonal encampments of hunter-gatherers, for whom foraging was the main way of life in the region until much later, when farming was adopted. The longer-term usage and seasonal re-occupation of these locations is reflected in the variety of artifacts recovered and the activities they likely represent.
Artifacts recovered in 1990 indicate that the site dates from the Middle Archaic period through the late prehistoric (ca. 2000 B.C.-A.D. 700). As such, what we find this year may divulge further, important information that will allow us to better understand the occupants' lives, and a clearer picture of the overall, prehistoric cultural landscape. Unfortunately, there is clear evidence of vandalism and looting since at least 1997. Because of these illicit activities, time may be running short for the site's preservation.
In order to document and protect the site and the important information it can reveal to us, we need your help - please join us as we record data and restore the landscape at the Fish Creek Camp Site! Volunteers will help to collect, photograph, map, and fully record cultural materials from the site. We will clean up the illegal excavations, screen for artifacts, then backfill the damage. There will also be an archaeological field laboratory in tandem with the excavation. In the lab, volunteers will help process and analyze artifacts as they are recovered. All training will be provided, so whether you are a seasoned volunteer or you have never held a trowel, you'll come away with some new skills, and definitely be able to say you helped save this prehistoric gem - we hope to see you this fall!
Number of openings: 30
Special skills: Must be physically capable of bending, stooping, standing, and/or kneeling for long periods each day; previous archaeological excavation, survey, mapping, photography/sketching, and/or artifact identification (especially Middle- to Late-Archaic) helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 12 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Tent and small RV (pop-up/trailer) camping available at no charge at Stuart Lake Campgrounds (~15 miles from work site); vault toilets, potable, water, showers; no hook-ups; limited amenities in nearby, small communities; Pineville is a full-service community with hotels/motels, restaurants, and a range of other amenities; volunteers responsible for own lodging/personal camping equipment, food, and daily transportation to and from work site (if opting to lodge outside of camp)
Nearest town: Pollock, 3 miles; Pineville, 30 miles; Alexandria, 35 miles
Applications due: Filled