Participate in Wenas Creek Mammoth Project

Field opportunities for the Wenas Creek Mammoth Project in 2008 include the 2008 summer Field School, and limited volunteer positions. Please see the links to the left for Field School information and application materials. Volunteers are needed in the field on-site during the summer, and in the laboratory at CWU from September through June. For details, see the Volunteer Info link at left.

The 2008 Field School will focus on the recovery of mammoth bones plus other associated bones and artifacts. We will be recovering mammoth and probably bison bones about 16,000 years old, and perhaps artifacts in close proximity to these bones, like the two unambiguous artifacts (flakes) found thus far. We will provide training in archaeological excavation techniques which might be used for future careers in archaeology, Cultural Resource Management, paleontology, or forensics, or simply for the fun of fieldwork and discovery. Specific skills learned will include unit setup, level excavation with shovel and trowel, bone recovery, piece plotting of finds, screening, plan and profile mapping, as well as provenience control with tapes, line levels, and a total station theodolite. At their choice, students may learn archaeological survey skills in an exchange of 1-5 days with the CWU Field School in CRM Archaeology, which will perform pedestrian survey at several locations in central Washington.

The 2008 Field School is open to anyone eligible for college credits (college student or not), and may be audited by those not wanting college credit.