A Unique Learning Experience at Thomas Jefferson’s Retreat
Field School Dates:  June 6 - July 9, 2010

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and the University of Virginia are pleased to offer the Twenty-Second Annual Summer Field School in Historical Archaeology.  The field school provides a foundation in current methods and theories of historical archaeology, and offers a solid introduction to the practical skills of site survey, excavation, recording, and laboratory procedures.  Students will actively participate in our ongoing interpretation of archaeology to the public. In the summer of 2010, field school participants will excavate an early nineteenth-century building complex, believed to be associated with plantation work spaces and possibly slave quarters, adjacent to Jefferson's ornamental grounds. They will also participate in some of the first phases of excavation needed to restore the ornamental plantings that once surrounded the retreat house.

What Would I Do at the Poplar Forest Field School?
Students will spend 40 hours a week at Poplar Forest, with most of the time split between the excavation site and the archaeology laboratory.  Strenuous daily activity will require physical endurance and good health.  Participants will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment and software, including a total station for recording field information, GPS receivers for collecting spatial data over large areas, a database system containing both the archaeological artifact and context records, and a complete inventory of over 1,000 historical documents relating to Poplar Forest.

The program includes weekly readings on topics in historical archaeology; lectures by staff and noted authorities covering such topics as landscape history, plantation life, nineteenth-century material culture; professional opportunities in historical archaeology; and the role of public archaeology.  As part of the program, students will also participate in a half-day workshop on architectural restoration and preservation philosophy.  On-site work is supplemented by field trips to sites where historical archaeology is underway.  Students will be asked to observe and evaluate strategies used by these sites to incorporate archaeology into their public interpretation.

What if I’ve Never Studied Archaeology or Been on a "Dig"?  
The Poplar Forest Field School is designed for the beginner.  While some will bring previous experience, for most participants, this will be their first archaeological field school. 

Who Should Attend?
Graduate and undergraduate students in anthropology, archaeology, history, or historic preservation; museum volunteers and staff; public and private school teachers in social studies and related subjects; individuals interested in pursuing archaeology as a career; individuals interested in archaeology, history, and early American Southern culture; students of Jefferson, African-American, and early American history. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have finished high school.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 7, 2010
How to Apply
By April 7, 2010, send the following information to Jack Gary, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes, Poplar Forest, P.O. Box 419, Forest, VA 24551.  

• Personal Information: Include your full name (with Mr., Ms., Mrs.), home address, home and work/school telephone numbers, occupation, and e-mail address.  
• A one page résumé.  
• A one-page statement of personal and professional reasons for participating.  
• A doctor’s statement showing good physical health.
• Two letters of recommendation from others addressing the following: 1) your academic and professional ability and performance, and 2) your personality and ability to work well with others (because archaeology is a team effort).

Graduate Credit
This field school in historical archaeology carries five graduate credits from the University of Virginia.  Students can usually transfer these hours toward a graduate or undergraduate degree program.  To verify transferability, participents should check with their degree-granting institution prior to taking for credit.  All students are required to keep a journal documenting field and lab experiences.  Other assignments will also be required.  The program is also offered for noncredit.

Tuition & Scholarship Assistance
All graduate credit participants in the field school will receive a scholarship from Poplar Forest.  This is a tuition grant that covers half of the tuition charge for five graduate credit hours.  With this scholarship assistance, Virginia residents will pay $722.50 and out-of-state residents will pay $1375.  There is a $25 technology fee.  For those not desiring academic credit, a non-credit fee is $400.  Call for details. 

Mary Ellen Coon McClaskey Scholarship
An additional scholarship from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution is also available to one student taking the course for credit. Preference will be given to: a student from Central Virginia; or attending William and Mary or the University of Virginia; or a female. The scholarship is $600 and is awarded in addition to the scholarship all for-credit students receive. If you would like to be considered for the scholarship simply state as such on the personal information sheet in your application. The decision will be made by the Director of Archaeology and Landscapes and the scholarship recipient notified with their field school acceptance letter.

Accommodations
Accommodations are available at Lynchburg College. Estimated cost is $29 per day. Students are responsible for their own meals and transportation to the site each day.

Special Needs
If your attendance requires any aids or services as addressed in the Americans with Disabilities Act, please inform us at least two weeks prior to the course. Call the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies at (434) 982-5319.

 
Poplar Forest Archaeology Instructors
      
Jack Gary, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes
Mr. Gary’s Research interests include plantation landscapes, the material culture of slavery, environmental investigations of historic landscapes, and the applications of GIS to historical archaeology.
      
Eric Proebsting, Ph.D., Associate Archaeologist
Mr. Proebsting’s research interests include nineteenth-century North America, landscape archaeology, environmental archaeology, and historical ecology.

Lori Lee, Laboratory Supervisor
Ms. Lee’s research interests include archaeology of the African Diaspora and studies of material culture and consumerism.     

Questions
Contact Jack Gary, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes
Poplar Forest P.O. Box 419, Forest, VA 24551
(434) 534-8105
jack@poplarforest.org