Archaeology Field School

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Application Deadline: April 15, 2006 or until the field school is fully subscribed.

Field School Dates: June 29-August 18, 2006

Application Form

W ESTERN M ICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

invites you to participate in the

31 st Annual Archaeological Field School

June 29-August 18, 2006

This is a multifaceted program of survey and excavation in historical archaeology and service learning. We practice public archaeology in conjunction with the Fort St. Joseph Museum, the non-profit Support the Fort group, and the City of Niles, under the auspices of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project and the direction of Dr. Michael Nassaney, Dept. of Anthropology
strong Description of Program: You are invited to participate in the 31 th annual archaeological field school directed by Dr. Michael Nassaney. The program will continue investigations begun in 1998 under the auspices of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project in Niles, Michigan. Fort St. Joseph was a mission-garrison-trading post established by the French in 1691 and occupied for nearly a century.   After we discovered the location of the fort site, we conducted systematic excavations in 2002 and 2004 and demonstrated that the site contains undisturbed architectural remains, cultural deposits, and other features that have the potential to help us rewrite the history of southwest Michigan.   We invite you to become a part of the archaeological team as we explore one of the earliest European settlements in Michigan and the Native American cultures with whom they lived and traded.
Students will receive instruction in research design and the importance of historical archaeology in the examination of the fur trade, culture contact, and the development of the modern world. Training will include standard techniques of site survey and excavation, as well as the processing, cataloging, and preliminary analysis of artifacts and feature data. We will also be working closely with members of the Fort St. Joseph Museum, Support the Fort, and the City of Niles as a service-learning component of the work.   Students will participate in our annual community day when we invite the public visit the site and learn about archaeology and life in the 18 th century. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect on their experience and develop expertise in some aspect of historical archaeology (e.g., metallurgy, ceramic analysis, cartography, archival research, National Register nomination, public interpretation) to enhance the learning process.
To learn more about our proposed activities, you may wish to consult the following publications:
Nassaney, Michael (editor)
1999              An Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey to Locate Remains of Fort St. Joseph (20BE23), in Niles, Michigan , edited by M. S. Nassaney.   Archaeological Report No. 22.   Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Nassaney, M. S., and W. M. Cremin
•  Fort St. Joseph is Found!   Michigan History 86(5):18-27.
Nassaney, M. S., and W. M. Cremin
2002              Realizing the Potential of the Contact Period in Southwest Michigan Through the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project.   The Wisconsin Archaeologist 83(2):123-134.
Nassaney, M. S., W. M. Cremin, and D. Lynch
2002-2004     The Identification of Colonial Fort St. Joseph, Michigan. Journal of Field Archaeology 29(3 and 4):309-321.
Nassaney, M. S., W. M. Cremin, R. Kurtzweil, and J. Brandão
•  The Search for Fort St. Joseph (1691-1781) in Niles, Michigan.   Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 28(2):1-38.
Registration Information: Admission to the field school is limited and is by consent of the director.   Credits are earned by enrolling in Anthropology 490 (6 hours of undergraduate credit) or ANTH 690 (3-6 hours of graduate credit). Applicable tuition and fees are published in the Summer II schedule of classes, with the addition of a 50 field school fee to cover travel to and from the project each day and all equipment and supplies issued to participants for their use.   Should we not be able to secure housing in Niles, room and board (either in a WMU residence hall or off-campus) will be the responsibility of the student.   A short reading package will also be made available to students for use during field school orientation.

Application for WMU Archaeological Field School (ANTH 490, 6 credit hours or ANTH 690, 3 credit hours), Summer II Session 2006 (June 29-August 18)
Name                                                                                         Soc. Sec. No.                               
Present Address                                                                        Phone                                           
                                                                                                
Permanent Address                                                                   Phone                                           
                                                                                                 E-mail                                                 

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Colleges/Universities Attended:
Academic Status:   Graduate                       Undergrad                 Field/Major                                
Please attach a copy of your transcript (an unofficial transcript will suffice) and proof of health care insurance.
Undergrads please provide the following:
Year in school                       current GPA                    Expected grad date:                                   
Courses taken in anthropology

Describe any prior anthropology and archaeology field and/or laboratory experience
Other experience/skills relevant to field school activities (e.g., working with archival sources)
On the reverse side of this sheet, briefly state your reasons for wishing to participate in the 2006 field school. Successful applicants will be notified of their admission by May 1.   To obtain further information or to submit a completed application form, contact: Dr. Michael Nassaney, Department of Anthropology, 1014 Moore Hall, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5306.   Phone: (269)387-3981;   E-mail: nassaney@wmich.edu