By Dr. Michael Jarvis, Pre-College instructor for “Bermuda: Digging Through the Social History of the Atlantic“
Indiana Jones? Lara Croft? Amateurs! Come learn how historical archaeology is really done through participation in a two-week excavation on Smiths Island, Bermuda. Our sites date to the very dawn of English colonization (1610s) and are almost as old as Jamestown.
We are looking for evidence of the first settlers’ timber-framed houses and artifacts that relate to their diet and how they adapted to a new American environment. Other sites under investigation include a cave that may have been used for smuggling or illicit slaves’ meetings and a quarantine building used by British soldiers during yellow fever epidemics.
Students will learn the basics of excavation and field recording techniques, artifact identification and processing, and site interpretation while living in St. George’s, Bermuda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They will also learn Atlantic and colonial history through field trips to the National Museum of Bermuda, the Bermuda Archives, and other historic sites.
No prior archaeological experience is necessary, but an adventurous spirit and willingness to learn about the past is a must!
The deadline to apply for this awesome program is February 1, 2015. Apply today!
For information on past students’ experiences and discoveries, please visit smithsislandarchaeology.blogspot.com.