Geoarchaeological Testing of Soils from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Lisa Maher, Professor
Anthropology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
This Spring, work with state-of-the-art lab equipment and learn how to examine soils to find signs of past human environmental impacts. Over the course of the semester, students will be trained in the basic tenants of archaeology, geology, and geoarchaeology through the lab-based analyses of soils excavated from the Estate Little Princess, a sugar plantation that was active on St. Croix (of the US Virgin Islands) from 1749 through the 1940s.
Selected students will have the opportunity to work in the USDA certified Soils Lab and Wet Lab within the Archaeological Research Facility (ARF) on UC Berkeley's campus.
Role: Work will include but is not limited to:
-Soils cataloging and soil specimen collections management
-Soil specimen prep for various tests
-Munsell color analysis
-Loss on ignition testing
-Grain size analysis
-Documentation of test results and preparation of narrative notes
-Visual analysis of field collected photographs of soil profiles and shovel test environs
-Assisting with other soil tests preparation and analysis as required for the project
Qualifications: Students with a background in archaeology, geology, or the earth sciences are especially encouraged to apply.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Ben Siegel, Graduate Student
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Social Sciences