Field School, Paid Internships & Volunteers
2024 Field School
The 2024 Field School will be held from May 27th through June 28th, with two virtual sessions on May 22nd and 23rd.
About The Field School
Five Week Training Course in Archaeological Methods and Techniques
Where will we be working?
The Archaeology of Memorialization
The archaeological work that students will be involved in is aimed at serving the larger goals of memorialization. The archaeology of memorialization aims to due the following:
1. Understand the extent of the burial ground and location of burials in order to protect those burials and prevent any disturbance of human remains during the landscape restoration process.
2. Explore evidence for how the enslaved and their descendants commemorated and honored that space.
3. Restore the landscape of the burial ground, and honor those buried there.
This field school and the excavations associated with memorialization is about understanding the landscape, and will NOT include the excavation of burials or human remains. Protection of human remains is central to this project and the interests of the MDC.
Cost and Accreditation
Accepted students will need to pay an additional $100 deposit (or the full fee) in order to secure their spot. This fee will be refunded to scholarship recipients.
The total cost for non-credit students is $1,100.00 USD.
Scholarships
The Montpelier Foundation offers scholarships for African American students attending the Field School. For more details, please e-mail dig@montpelier.org and ask about scholarship opportunities for African American students. Scholarship application materials are provided when applying for the Field School!
Archaeology Paid Internships
Students who have participated in and completed the Archaeology Field School will also be provided an opportunity to apply for the ten month long internship program.
The Montpelier Internship is a ten month position that begins on July 1st and typically ends on April 30th.
In order to qualify for an internship, you MUST attend the Montpelier Archaeology Field School. These paid internships include full employee benefits and free housing on the property. Up to five, long-term interns (3 or 4 field interns and 1 or 2 lab interns) will be selected near the end of the Field School. Current and past Field School students are welcome to apply to the internship.
Volunteers
We welcome all to take part in our Expedition Programs
Our Department would be nothing without our lab volunteers. Coming mostly from the local area, our volunteers provide a unique range of skillsets to our department and they assist our lab staff with a variety of tasks. A great way to learn more about volunteering at the lab is attend an expedition program, then you can see where your new volunteer “career” at Montpelier will land!
If you are interested in other ways to be involved with Montpelier Archaeology, please email us at dig@montpelier.org. Our relationship with members of the public is one of the most important aspects of what we do here!