Archaeological Laboratory Analysis of Native Californian Materials from the Central California Coast
Kent Lightfoot, Professor
Anthropology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
Researchers in the California Archaeology Laboratory are continuing a long-term study investigating land stewardship practices of Native Californian peoples. The study involves collecting samples of archaeological biological materials (shell, animal, and plant remains) from a number of sites up to 6000 years old on the Central California Coast and analyzing these to understand how Native people used natural resources from several thousand years ago into the recent past. This semester, we will be working on sorting flotation materials from these sites that contain shell, lithics, bone, and other artifact types. We seek URAP students looking to learn about identification of these materials to assist in the lab work.
The minimum time commitment for this project is six hours per week.
Role: Students will assist graduate students in the California Archaeology Laboratory in sorting archaeological materials into specific categories (e.g., identifying different types of shellfish) and recording data on these materials onto standardized forms.
Qualifications: Students who participate should be interested in the archaeology / ecology of California. The work involves concentrating on a single task for two to three hours at a time, and so this work is not suitable for students who have trouble focusing on a task for extended periods. No specific prerequisite skills are required.
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Social Sciences