Nunalleq Fieldschool

Location: Quinhagak, AK, USA

Season: June 7, 2023 to August 21, 2023

Application Deadline: April 10, 2023

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://nalaquq.com/nunalleq-archaeological-project-2023-season/

Program Type:
Field School, Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Nalaquq, LLC

Project Director:
Lynn Marie Church

Project Description:

The UK-based University of Aberdeen Department of Archaeology and the University of Franche-Comté, in Besançon, France are partnering with the village corporation Qanirtuuq, Inc. and the Yup’ik village of Quinhagak on a large-scale archaeological project. Archaeological sites, as well as the modern infrastructure in the region, are threatened by melting permafrost and rising sea levels along the Bering Sea.

We invite applications for a place on the excavation or in the lab. You can apply either as a field school student or a volunteer. You will gain field experience in the Alaskan bush and be part of an exciting research project, working in close partnership with the Yup’ik descendant community to save their threatened heritage.

Period(s) of Occupation: This field season we will focus on excavating threatened parts of the Nunalleq site, a 17th century pre-contact Yup’ik village with exceptionally well-preserved organic remains. During the 2023 season, we will also be processing finds in a Quinhagak-based lab in the Nunalleq Museum.

Notes:
For the 2023 field season students and volunteers are expected to arrange and pay for their own round-trip airfare. Participants are expected to commit to at least one full week of fieldwork with a commitment of 3 weeks for field school credit. Participants should plan to arrive/depart from Quinhagak on Saturdays. Book your tickets to Anchorage, then to Bethel, the hub-city for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Please note that staying overnight in Bethel is expensive, and that it can be hard to find accommodation. It is therefore advisable to arrive in Bethel on the morning or early afternoon flight, so you can be sure to catch a plane to Quinhagak the same day. Likewise, make sure to book your ticket back from Bethel in the afternoon to give you time to fly out from Quinhagak in the morning. However, the best laid plans… Please be aware that weather can sometimes interfere with travel schedules, so prepare to be flexible. You fly from Bethel to Quinhagak with Grant Aviation (https://www.flygrant.com/). You can book your tickets ahead or purchase your Bethel-Quinhagak tickets in Bethel. It costs c. US $466 to fly return Bethel-Quinhagak. Upon arrival in Bethel airport, you will jump into the Grant Aviation van, which will take you to the Grant/Raven airstrip. From Bethel you will board a small plane to Quinhagak where you either will be met at the airport or take the aviation van into town – asked to be dropped off at the Corporation building. Email your travel itineraries to Lynn Marie Church (lchurch@nalaquq.com) and Sean Gleason (sgleason@nalaquq.com) when you have booked your tickets, so we know when to expect you. If there are any changes to your travel plans, make sure to contact us by email and/or mobile phone (see contact information).

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 3 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: If you have an interest in Alaskan archaeology, artefact conservation or community heritage work, you are very welcome to join our crew. No experience is necessary. You will be given assignments according to their abilities. There are a limited number of places, with priority given to those who can demonstrate a genuine interest in archaeology/heritage.

Room and Board Arrangements:
The cost for the field school is 1,000 USD per week. This includes room, meals and local ground transportation. We ask that participants commit to a minimum of three weeks to receive field school credit.

Academic Credit:
We will work with students to provide academic credit through your home institution.