2024 Summer Archaeology Opportunities:
Joining an archaeological project can be a transformative experience, whether you are considering a career in archaeology or are looking for a hands-on encounter with another culture. Be aware that while working on Classical sites may be particularly relevant, many archaeological projects in the Mediterranean like to hire people who have initially worked in the US.
A few places to look for projects are:
- The Archaeological Institute of America http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob
- The Agora in Athens is an excellent place to dig, in part because they excavate well, they don't charge, they cover most expenses, and it's a good way to meet lots of other people with similar interests. However, it is a competitive project to get onto, and while they do accept undergraduates, they prioritize accepting graduate students (they do interview potential excavators). For more information, see https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/programs/summer-volunteer-program (note that this program deadline is past, but you might want it for planning purposes)
- Earthwatch http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/expedition-search
- USDA Forest Service http://www.passportintime.com/
- The Vermont Archaeological Society has a list of Vermont projects and other resources https://accd.vermont.gov/historic-preservation/archaeology-center/research-volunteer-internship-opportunities
- The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources has a page for their low-cost prehistoric and historical archaeology training programs https://www.nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov/research-learn/archaeology/scrap
- Professor Hruby's office door (314 Reed Hall), where she posts opportunities that she hears about
- There's a bulletin board on the hallway of the third floor of Reed Hall with various opportunities listed
- You may also wish to consider internships with archaeological laboratories, museums, and other relevant organizations.
Check these sites and locations early and often; many are updated periodically.
A few places to look for funding are:
- The Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship (http://www.archaeological.org/grants/708); the application deadline is usually at the beginning of March. Dartmouth students have been quite successful with obtaining Waldbaum Scholarships in the past. They are $1,000 each, but they are relatively prestigious.
- If you're excavating in the Near East (which includes Cyprus and Israel), ASOR (the American Schools of Overseas Research) have a variety of excavation fellowships, typically with deadlines in mid-February (https://www.asor.org/fellowships/dig-fellowships/)
- If your heritage is Native American or another historically underrepresented group, the SAA (Society for American Archaeology) has some funding available (https://www.saa.org/membership/student-benefits/awards-scholarships).
- If you would like to do a non-Hood museum internship, you should apply to the Elizabeth Bartman Museum Internship fund, at https://www.archaeological.org/grant/bartman-museum-internship/
- IFR Global has a website that lists scholarships to their own projects and, at the bottom of the page, links to fellowships offered by other funders (http://ifrglobal.org/students/scholarships/).
- Dartmouth College offers a range of programs for funding undergraduate research; see https://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/undergrad/. This page also links to one with external sources of funding.
- Dartmouth's Center for Professional Development has funds available (https://cpdcareers.dartmouth.edu/channels/find-funding-opportunities/), which typically do not exceed $5,000
- The Leslie Center has funds available through their Student Professional Development Fellowships, up to $1,800 (https://leslie.dartmouth.edu/students/student-professional-development-fellowships). You will need a recommendation from your faculty advisor, so you should plan ahead.
- The Classics Department has funding available, currently up to $4,000 per project, through the Reid and Wiencke funds. See http://classics.dartmouth.edu/research/student-research for more information.