SYLLABUS

Washington State University Archaeological Field School
Birch Creek Archaeological Project
ANTH 300/500
Summer 2002

Staff
Principal Investigator and Instructor: William Andrefsky, Professor
Co-Instructor: Ian Buvit, graduate assistant
Logistics Coordinator: Karisa Terry, graduate assistant
Laboratory Coordinator: Erin Wallace, graduate assistant
Coordinator of SAA/NSF Curriculum Project: Bill Lipe, Professor Emeritus
Bureau of Land Management Representative: Diane Pritchard, District Archaeologist

Course Description
This is a field methods class held in a remote location, requiring students to learn to live and work together as a group while they learn field methods and contribute to the success of a long-term archaeological research project. All students are expected to do their share of camp chores as part of their participation in this class.

Evaluation and Grades
To excel in this class, students must actively participate as responsible, self-starting members of a research team. This means being on the site every day, doing lab work, going on field trips, attending lectures, taking part in discussions, doing some independent reading, and completing camp chores. The camp will have a small Reference Collection of books and papers relevant to the course and to the research project. Students are expected to use this collection to follow up on topics raised in lectures and discussions. There are no required readings for the course, but lecturers will indicate which readings in the Reference Collection are most relevant to their topic.

There will also be two short projects and a final practical exam in applying what you have learned about field methods. Grades will be based on:

Participation: 50%
Field Practical: 20%
Project 1: 15%
Project 2: 15%

The Field Practical will formally evaluate your abilities to carry out field procedures that you will be practicing all season long, such as laying out a grid square, field identification of artifacts, EDM setup, and other field procedures.

The two projects described below relate to lectures and discussions regarding stewardship of archaeological resources, archaeological ethics, and the relevance of archaeology to various audiences.

Project 1: Design a two-page brochure that describes and interprets the Birch Creek site to a visitor. In addition to giving some basic information about the site, be sure to provide some comments on site significance, ownership, and the nonrenewable nature of archaeological resources.

Project 2: Write two letters—each no more than a page and a half long—describing why it is important to use excavation as a means of investigating this particular site. Be sure to discuss the tradeoff between the disturbance of archaeological contexts and the production of archaeological knowledge about the past. One letter should be addressed to the Burns Paiute Tribal Council, and the second letter should be addressed to local Cattleman’s Association.

Course Objectives and Coverage
The primary objective of the course is to provide students with instruction and practical experience in basic methods and techniques of archaeological fieldwork. The experience is gained in the context of a long-term research project designed to produce specimens, records, and data that will support further laboratory analysis and eventual publication of research results. Students thus will be making important contributions to the research while they are learning basic field methods. Through discussions and practical applications, students will develop a thorough understanding of how their work in the field relates to the overall research design of the Birch Creek Archaeological Project (see summary of the project and its research design).

The field and laboratory methods covered in the course include:

site gridding
triangulation techniques
optical transit setup and use
EDM use (total station)
EDM software and mapping
floor plan mapping
wall profile mapping
three-point mapping
feature excavation
square excavation
completion and processing of level forms
completion and processing of feature forms
collection and processing of soil samples
collection and processing of radiocarbon samples
collection and processing of flotation samples
collection and processing of constant volume samples
transect surveys
GPS mapping
USGS map and compass work
UTM mapping
processing of site forms
production of site maps
lithic inventory and cataloging
faunal inventory and cataloging
lithic artifact classification
lithic raw material identification
faunal classification
collections cataloging and coding
exposure to regional culture history
exposure to regional geology
exposure to tephrachronology

Camp Life and Logistics
The summer season is divided into three 10-day sessions with two 4-day breaks; see the attached schedule for details. Everyone is required to be present and participate from June 24 through July 31. During breaks you may stay at the camp, travel back to Pullman with the university vehicles, or travel on your own.

Our field camp will have running water and a full kitchen. We will use the ranch house facilities to cook meals, eat, and have lectures, labs, and showers. You may swim and fish in the Owyhee River. Personal vehicles are allowed in our camp. Some of you may wish to drive to the site in your own vehicles (we can discuss those details on June 24). No pets or firearms are allowed, and we have a maximum visit limitation for guests of 3 nights. All guests must notify me in advance to arrange a site visit.

All field school participants must be prepared to camp for the full six-week field season. I expect that it will be very hot and dry for most of the summer. Last summer the first three days were wet and cold. However, daytime temperatures frequently reach 105° F. Night does not cool down as much in the canyon as in the open desert so Owyhee nights may only drop to 85° F. However, I am not the weatherman, so be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. This is not a backpack camp, so you may travel "heavy." Since we'll be camping for the summer you should try to be as comfortable as possible. There are some bunks available for students wishing to live indoors, but since the canyon stays hot through the evenings, most people elect to sleep in tents along the river. Having a tent is required, since we will travel and camp during our archaeological site survey sessions.

You need not bring any cooking equipment. All food and eating materials will be provided unless you wish to eat or drink something special. The project will not purchase candy, soda pop, beer, or caviar. If you require any of this kind of nourishment you must bring it in your personal gear. All archaeological excavation gear will be provided.

You will have a few hours on the afternoon of June 24 to shop for gear or materials that you have forgotten. You may also obtain additional gear and supplies during the break periods. If you want to have sodas or special food or drink you should either bring them or bring cash to purchase them.

We do not have telephone access at camp, so don’t expect to make telephone contact with wives, husbands, children, girlfriends, etc. while at base camp. We do have access to radio communications at the adjoining ranch, where we can make emergency calls and request airlift support in case of serious accidents. I will also provide you with emergency telephone numbers in case someone needs to contact you from the outside. A message can be delivered to us. If you have a cellular telephone it is possible to make outside contact by driving to the top of the canyon rim and calling from there.

Try and limit the amount of your personal gear to a volume that fits into a large duffle bag, a backpack or suitcase, and a daypack. If you choose to drive your own vehicle you will have more room to carry additional materials. Listed below in no particular order are some required (r) and suggested gear.

tent (r)
sleeping bag or blankets (r)
picture identification (r)
pillow
towel (r)
tarp
folding lawn or camp chair
small ice cooler
hiking boots (light-duty)
sandals/slippers
socks
leather gloves
water bottle or canteen (r)
shorts
swimsuit
long pants (r)
short- and long-sleeved shirts
hat (r)
underwear (10-day supply)
rain gear
daypack or fanny pack (r)
reading material
stationery/stamps
camera/film
binoculars
sunglasses
sunblock (r)
personal medication
toothbrush/paste
comb
personal hygiene needs
money
sweater/jacket (r)
small flashlight/batteries (r)
cot
pocketknife or leatherman-type tool (r)
insect spray/lotion
extra glasses

Course Schedule

June 24
In Pullman, WA

8:00: Lectures

Orientation to Class (Buvit, 30-45 min.)

Orientation to Project (Satterwhite, 30-45 min.)

Orientation to Camp (Terry; 20-30 min.)

Orientation to SAA-NSF Curriculum Project (Lipe; 10-20 min.)

Principles of Excavation (Wallace; 45-60 min.)

BCAP Site Form and Bags (Satterwhite; 45-60 min.)

Sediments, Soils and Stratigraphy (Buvit; 30-45 min,)

2001 Trench Profile (Terry; 30-45 min.)

Mid-afternoon: Pack personal gear
Pack vehicles

June 25
Travel to field location
7:00 Depart from WSU
12:00 Lunch Break
3:30 Welcome to the Birch Creek Archaeological Project—Andrefsky
4:00 Camp setup
6:30 Dinner

June 26
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack

6:15-8:30 Lectures and demonstrations:

2002 BCAP Research Design—Andrefsky

8:30 Site visit, clear site area, open trench.
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Site gridding and open trench
2:00 Check in specimen bags
4:00 Lectures: Site Photography and Cameras—Satterwhite; Chronological Methods—Buvit
6:00 Dinner

June 27
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork, square layout, and open trench
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lectures—Culture History: Great Basin Prehistory—Satterwhite; Plateau Prehistory—Terry
6:00 Dinner

June 28
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lecture: Laboratory Methods—Andrefsky and Wallace
5:00 Review day's work—Andrefsky and Satterwhite
6:00 Dinner

June 29
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lecture: Profiling and Sediment Structure—Buvit
6:00 Dinner

June 30
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Laboratory work
6:00 Dinner

July 1
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lab work
6:00 Dinner

July 2
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lab
6:00 Dinner

July 3
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lab
6:00 Dinner

July 4
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Begin check-in
12:00 Vehicles leave for Pullman

July 5,6,7,8
Break

July 8
Vehicles return to camp, unload

July 9
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lectures: Archaeological Ethics—Lipe; Introduction to Federal CRM Legislation—Lipe
6:00 Dinner

July 10
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lectures: BLM's Cultural Resources Program—Pritchard; Native American Perspectives and Consultation—Pritchard
6:00 Dinner

July 11
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lecture: The Structure of Archaeological Research—Lipe
6:00 Dinner

July 12
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lecture: Survey Techniques—Wallace/Satterwhite
5:00 Lab
6:00 Dinner

July 13
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lecture: Survey Techniques, Mapping, GPS—Wallace/Satterwhite
6:00 Dinner

July 14
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Survey
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Survey
3:00-4:00 Return to Base or Field Camp
6:00 Dinner

July 15
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Survey
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Survey
3:00-4:00 Return to Base or Field Camp
6:00 Dinner

July 16
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Survey
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Survey
3:00-4:00 Return to Base or Field Camp
6:00 Dinner

July 17
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lab
6:00 Dinner

July 18
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Begin check-in
12:00 Vehicles leave for Pullman

July 19,20,21,22
Break

July 22
Vehicles return to camp, unload

July 23-30 (same schedule daily)
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Fieldwork
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Fieldwork
1:30 Begin check-in
4:00 Lab
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Field Practicals

July 30
5:15-6:15 Breakfast and field pack
6:15 Close Site
10:30 Lunch
11:00 Close Site
1:00 Projects 1 and 2 Due
2:00 Field School Ends
6:00 Dinner Party

July 31
A.M. Clean camp, pack vehicles, pack personal gear
12:00 Vehicles leave for Pullman.

Note: The last day of class is July 30, 2002. There is traditionally an end-of-season dinner party that evening. The following day we break camp and vehicles return to Pullman. Since the drive to Pullman can take as long as 9 to 11 hours, it is important not to schedule flights out of Pullman on or before August 1, 2001. If you choose to fly to your final destination after the field season, schedule your flight no earlier than August 1, 2001.