Enroll in the Abbe Museum Archaeology Field School Today!

The Abbe Museum, well known for conducting outstanding archaeology programs, is offering its annual archaeological field school the week of August 1-6, 2010. Participants will work with Maine State Archeologist Dr. Arthur Spiess on the Tranquility Farm coastal shell midden site in Gouldsboro, Maine. Field school participants will conduct excavations, practice mapping the site, and learn about the analysis of artifacts.

The 2010 excavation will build on previous discoveries at the site, including a house floor and hearth feature that date to about 1200 years ago. Burned plant remains from the hearth include raspberry, chenopodium, smartweed, wild rye and dewberry. A variety of pottery, stone tools and bone tools, as well as food bone remains, are plentiful at the Tranquility Farm site.

Fieldwork will be complimented by lab sessions and lectures to give participants a broad understanding of archaeology and Maine's Native American heritage.

Participation in the field school is open to the public and no previous archaeological experience is necessary, but enrollment is limited. The cost is $350 for Abbe Museum members and $400 for non-members. Participants will be responsible for their own lodging and food.

Scholarships are available to Maine Native Americans and high school or college students from Maine, with preference given to residents of Hancock, Washington, Penobscot and Aroostook Counties. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and includes a stipend towards lodging and meals. Applications for the scholarship must be received by June 15, 2010.

Scholarship applications and registration information are available on the Abbe Museum’s web site at www.abbemuseum.org, or by calling the museum at (207) 288-3519. You must be 17 or older to participate.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

Contact information:
Julia Clark, Curator of CollectionS
collections@abbemuseum.org
Abbe Museum
26 Mount Desert Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
(207) 288-3519
www.abbemuseum.org