CRM Professional Training Program

Location: Alabama

Season: June 2, 2025 to June 27, 2025

Session Dates: June 2 - 27th, 2025

Application Deadline: January 1, 2025

Deadline Type: Contact for Details

Website: https://www.archaeoplus.org/crm-professional-training-program

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
This project is an RPA certified field school

Affiliation:
ArchaeoPLUS; Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research; Alabama Archaeological Society

Project Director:
William Henry PhD RPA; Hunter Johnson MA RPA

Project Description:

Our Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Professional Training Program is designed for aspiring professionals in archaeology, anthropology, history, and related disciplines. This immersive program offers rigorous hands-on training, enabling participants to gain valuable skills in CRM—a rapidly expanding field projected to grow by 8% over the next decade. As the job market for those with degrees in related fields shifts, CRM represents an exceptional career opportunity, encompassing approximately 90% of available roles in the United States, but is also a field in which many graduates feel they are unprepared by their college curricula and traditional archaeological field schools. This field school, taught by CRM archaeologists and academic archaeologists specializing in pedagogy and praxis, is designed to prepare graduates to enter CRM immediately upon graduation.

Course Objectives

Our field school is structured to achieve the following objectives:

Comprehend CRM Principles: Gain a solid understanding of the foundational concepts and practices inherent to cultural resource management.
Develop Practical Skills: Engage in archaeological surveys and excavations, alongside artifact analysis, to equip you for future employment with CRM firms across the United States.
Navigate Regulations: Familiarize yourself with federal and state regulations governing cultural resources, ensuring compliance and ethical stewardship in your future endeavors.
Course Structure

The course is divided into distinct phases to maximize learning and engagement:

Week 1: Introduction to CRM and Alabama’s Cultural Heritage

Lecture Overview: Introduce CRM concepts, regulatory frameworks, and methodologies.
Material Culture Exploration: Engage in workshops focused on Alabama-specific archaeological materials.
Preservation Ethics: Participate in discussions on sustainable management practices.
Field Methodology Training: Acquire hands-on training in essential fieldwork techniques.
Technical Applications: Workshop sessions may cover GIS, GPR, and/or photogrammetry, et al., time and availability allowing.
Weeks 2 and 3: Field Methods in Archaeology

Survey and Excavation Techniques: Receive comprehensive training in essential archaeological methodologies.
Hands-On Fieldwork: Participate in a field survey or excavation at a designated site, applying your newly acquired skills in a real-world setting.
Week 4: Laboratory Techniques and Public Engagement

Artifact Management: Gain practical experience in cleaning, cataloging, and analyzing archaeological artifacts.
Public Presentation: At the end, everyone will have a chance to present on the experience to the public.

Period(s) of Occupation: The upcoming project will be conducted at an artifact-rich site known as the "Flint Factory," located just outside Birmingham, AL. This site encompasses multiple Native American locations—or possibly one expansive site—that is dense with artifacts dating from the Archaic to late Woodland periods. Although previously unrecorded, this remarkable site features a wealth of lithic and ceramic material, offering a rare glimpse into the past. Initial hypotheses about the site's purpose include its potential as a quarry, a lithic production center, or even a broader habitation or encampment. Currently, the leading theory suggests it served as a seasonally used lithic production site over a long span of time. Through the CRM Professional Training Program, we aim to uncover the layers of history embedded here and deepen our understanding of its significance.

Notes:
Project cost is $800 per participant.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: four weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: Educational Background: You must be a current undergraduate student pursuing a degree in archaeology, anthropology, history, or a closely related field. Recent graduates are welcome to apply, as long as you have completed your studies within the last two years. Graduate students are also encouraged to apply. Exceptions may be made in special circumstances. Interest in Cultural Resource Management (CRM): Our field schools focus heavily on preparing participants for careers in CRM, so a demonstrated interest or career intent in this area is preferred. Please note that our field schools are conducted in person and involve outdoor work. Participants should be physically capable of working in varying environmental conditions, and often include hiking, carrying tools over uneven terrain, exposure to dust and allergens, and high outside temperatures.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Program participants will enjoy comfortable accommodations on the property, staying in one of two fully furnished houses with shared bedrooms, kitchens, laundry facilities, and inviting indoor and outdoor living spaces. These accommodations are conveniently located just a short two-minute drive or a 15-minute walk from the excavation site. For essentials, it’s a quick 10-minute drive to nearby grocery stores and restaurants. The property itself is a scenic, heavily wooded area, rich with old and new-growth cedars, stocked ponds (perfect for fishing!), multiple hiking trails, and abundant wildlife—offering ample opportunities for relaxation and exploration after a day in the field. Students are responsible for their own board for the duration of the project.

Academic Credit:
We are willing to work with any university department in order to get you college credit through your home university. Please consult our consortium agreement policy for more information. If you have questions regarding this process, email us at admin@archaeoplus.org.