Utah - Manti-La Sal NF
Closed! Tracking the Ancient Ones, Part VI
PIT volunteers identify pottery at Edge of the Cedars Museum
UT-4423
August 12-16, 2019
Volunteers must commit to entire session
Come join Edge of the Cedars Museum staff and archaeologists from the Manti-La Sal National Forest for Part VI of our ongoing “Tracking the Ancient Ones” PIT project! In the 1970s, archaeological surveyors on the Manti-La Sal National Forest documented hundreds of Ancestral Puebloan sites on the flanks of Elk Ridge and the Abajo Mountains in Southeastern Utah. They also collected thousands of surface artifacts. These collections are invaluable sources of information on the ages and functions of these sites. They are often the only source of that information as later, illegal artifact collecting has erased our ability to read the ages of many of these sites today. The artifacts are curated in the city of Blanding at the Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum, a premier facility that includes fine exhibits on Southwestern archaeology and rock art, as well as a stabilized ruin.
Once again, we need your help cataloging the collections. You will learn how to identify Ancestral Puebloan ceramics and get an introduction to stone artifact identification. You’ll also see the inner workings of a museum, and learn how both artifacts and the information they provide are preserved. Most of all, you’ll learn how the information captured in these artifacts brings to life a complex story of migration during Ancestral Puebloan times! This is important work, and an opportunity for you to really learn about artifacts and their curation – we hope to see you this summer!
Number of openings: 12
Special skills: Previous curation and/or museum, artifact identification (especially Ancestral Puebloan ceramic and/or lithics), or related experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 16 years old; Any applicant under the age of 18 must apply with a parent or guardian, who must submit a separate application and indicate they plan to attend
Facilities: Blanding is a full-service community with hotels/motels, restaurants, and grocery stores; RV parks also available in Blanding and in nearby Bluff and Monticello (each ~25 miles from museum); RV parks offer full hookups, and some have wireless internet; volunteers responsible for own lodging, meals, and daily transportation to and from Edge of Cedars
Nearest towns: Project based in Blanding; Bluff, ~25 miles; Monticello, ~25 miles
Applications due: June 24, 2019