The following are frequently asked questions and answers to them:
- Are you interested in a job with the National Park
Service?
- Are you interested in an internship with the
Archeology Program or the Applied Ethnography Program?
- Are you are interested in an archeology job with
a state?
- Do you want a career in archeology or anthropology
and want to know about education or opportunities
?
- Do you want to attend an archeology conference?
Jobs and Careers
Are you interested in a job with the National Park Service?
For any Federal job, such as with the National Park Service, you must apply
through the United States Office of Personnel Management. Visit the USAJOBS
web site to search for jobs by keyword, location, and agency. You may also
choose to contact the OPM by mail or by telephone:
United
States Office of Personnel Management:
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20415-0001
(202) 606-1800
1-800-336-4562
More specific information about employment, volunteers, seasonal employment
and more by the National Park Service can be found on the Careers
Web Site.
Are you interested in an internship with the Archeology
Program or the Applied Ethnography Program?
Paid internships are often available for graduate students or undergraduate
seniors through the National
Council for Preservation Education (NCPE). These internships enable
students to gain work experience, learn new skills, and meet NPS archeologists
and ethnographers. To learn more about the kinds of projects offered, visit
PreserveNet.
This site lists position announcements for years past, current opportunities,
application forms, and deadlines. NCPE internships take place throughout
the NPS system in museums, offices, and archeological centers.
The Historic Preservation
Internship Training Program operates jointly with NCPE. This program
enables students to learn about, and contribute to, the national historic
preservation programs operating through partnerships between State Historic
Preservation Officers and the National Park Service. Students are placed
NPS cultural programs headquarters and field offices, as well as in units
of the park system with historic preservation and cultural resource management
responsibilities.
Many National Parks have their own temporary, seasonal, or intern programs.
Be sure to check with parks in your region to see what opportunities they
may have.
Are you are interested in an archeology job with a
state?
A good way to start is by contacting your State
Historic Preservation Officer and State
Archeologist. They can tell you about finding and applying for positions
with the state government, and point you toward those archeology contract
or consulting firms that conduct business in your state. You also may wish
to contact a local museum or university and inquire about positions.
Professional organizations list a wide variety of positions across the nation,
including those in academia, the field, museums, and governments. Here are
a few to try:
Cultural Resource Management (CRM), or contract archeology, can be a good
way to find out if archeology is for you. These companies conduct short
and long term excavations, and frequently place advertisements for field
crews. Typically, CRM companies require their crews to have completed a
field school and have some academic background in archeology. Try these
sites for more information:
Do you want a career in archeology or anthropology
and want to know about education or opportunities?
One of the best ways to explore anthropology or archeology as a career is
to take an introductory course at a college or university, or volunteer
or participate in a field school. Check out these sites for more information:
Do you want to attend an archeology conference?
Many historical, anthropological, and archeological societies post information
on activities across the country. These societies hold annual conferences,
which can help you to learn more about archeology and to meet people. Some
popular archaeological conferences include:
Associations are a subset of national conferences, and can be a good way
to meet other archeologists and get involved.
Also check out regional archeological associations.
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you interested in volunteering or in archeological fieldwork opportunities?
If so, you may also be interested in amateur certification programs or in
caring for sites.
Opportunities for volunteering abound. Contact museums, historical societies,
colleges, and universities in your area to find out about their programs.
Many states have archeology celebrations during the year; look at our Events
in Your State page for more information. The National Park Service Volunteer
in Parks program is another place to inquire about volunteering in archeology.
Archeological fieldwork is a great way to gain experience as a volunteer.
Programs through colleges or universities will offer credit. Check out
these sites for more information:
Several states offer amateur certification.
This enables you to gain the training and experience necessary Sto excavate
in a responsible manner. For more information on stewardship, visit our
Caring for Sites
page.
General Information About Archeology
Are you interested in general archeological information?
The Archeology Program web site contains
many great resources. Explore the site to learn about the federal archeology
program, archeology in national and regional parks, legal information, and
more. The Archeology Program site also includes online exhibits about archeological
topics across the nation, as well as recommendations on places to visit,
publications (including books, magazines, and videos), and other media.
The Archeology Program has produced two online guides about what archeology
is and what archeologists do. Archeology
for Interpreters answers questions about archeological methods, interpretation
with archeological data, sensitivity in cultural resource matters, and encouragement
of a sense of stewardship in youth. It also provides numerous links to get
you started, including recommendations on parks to visit, lesson plans,
and publications. Interpretation
for Archeologists offers methods for encouraging people to find personal
meanings in archeological resources. It aims to foster a sense of stewardship
in the public for archeological resources.
Visiting our National Parks is a great way to learn more about archeology.
Visit the National Park Service web site
for more information. Also visit LearnNPS
for some activities with archeology and advice for people looking for specific
topics in the national parks. The National Register of Historic Places Teaching
with Historic Places lesson plans include several archeology-themed
activities.
In addition to the Archeology Program and NPS web sites, take a look at
Archaeology
and You by George E. Stuart (National Geographic Society) and Francis
P. McManamon (National Park Service). This online brochure provides basic
information about the science of archeology, as well as advice on learning
more and participating in it.
What are the state and federal laws protecting archeological resources?
Archeological resources are protected by law on state and federal lands.
While federal law is consistently
applied across the nation, state and local law differs from place to place.
We strongly recommend that you contact your State
Historic Preservation Officer and State
Archeologist to find out about laws concerning archeology for your area.
Archeological and Native American resources are protected on federal lands
by three primary laws: the Antiquities Act, the Archaeological Resources
Protection Act, and the Native American Graves Repatriation Act. These three
pieces of law define what is protected and outline the penalties for offending
the law.
- The Antiquities Act of 1906 deems illegal the disturbing of archeological
materials on lands owned by the United States and sets up penalties for
the collection, excavation, and destruction of historic and prehistoric
ruins or monuments situated on them. It established a permit system
for legitimate archeological investigations to minimize illegal activity. The law also emphasizes that the collections from a permitted project must be properly curated in a publicly accessible museum. As well, it establishes
a procedure for the President to designate National Monuments.
- The Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 protects
archeological resources and sites on public (federal) lands and Indian
lands. It sets up guidelines on the procedures to obtain permission
and permits to excavate archeological sites on public lands by qualified
individuals. ARPA establishes penalties and fines for breaking the law.
For a first offense, a fine of up to $20,000 and up to two years imprisonment
may be imposed; for subsequent offences, the penalty may involve fines
of up to $100,000 and imprisonment of up to five years. Additional penalties
based on the value of a damaged site and the cost to repair it may also
be imposed. As well, ARPA acknowledges federal ownership of objects excavated from federal lands, calls for the preservation of objects and associated records in a "suitable" institution, and seeks regulations for the care and management of archeological collections.
- The Native American Graves Repatriation Protection Act (NAGPRA) has
two major purposes. Its first is to forge paths for federal agencies
and tribes to work together in the process of identifying and returning
culturally affiliated Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to tribes. The second purpose is to give Native American burial sites greater protection. NAGPRA covers objects in federal or federally funded museums and also affects any public museum that received federal funding before or since 1990.
Are you looking for ways to protest the illegal sale and looting of archeological
artifacts?
Public stewardship of archeological materials is extremely important. One
way to protect archeological resources is to have a working understanding
of federal laws, and to
speak up to the appropriate authority when you observe illegal practices.
Be sure to promote stewardship practices in youth by modeling appropriate
behavior and by instilling in them the value to the present and future of
these fragile materials.
Visiting the National Parks and using the Archeology Program web site can
help you impress upon other people the significance of the archeological
past in the present. A series of articles
and other information available on the Archeology Program site, particularly
on the Caring for
Sites page, will provide you with information about stewardship.
The Archaeological Conservatory is the only national non-profit organization
dedicated to acquiring and preserving archeological sites. Contact the Conservancy
at:
The Archaeological Conservancy
5301 Central AVE, NE Suite 1218
Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517
505-266-1540
http://www.americanarchaeology.com/aaabout.html
For local information and groups, contact your State
Historic Preservation Officer and State
Archeologist. They can tell you about preservation and archeological
stewardship organizations in your area.
Are you looking for educational materials?
Check out the Archeology Program’s For
Teachers page for many resources of use to educators, including web
sites, publications and other materials. Two great ways to start learning
about archeology as a teaching tool are our online guides, Archeology
for Interpreters: A Guide to the Resource and its counterpart, Interpretation
for Archeologists: A Guide to Increasing Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
Created to help National Park Service interpreters and archeologists discuss
archeological resources with the public, educators can also use these guides
to learn about incorporating archeology into their classroom toolkit. They
also include recommendations for many links and readings.
Please note that the content for the publication “Participate in Archeology”
has been transferred to our web page. We no longer retain copies of the
print version.
The NPS site contains several other web
resources for learning about archeology. LearnNPS
contains some activities with archeology and advice for people looking for
specific topics in the national parks. The National Register of Historic
Places Teaching with Historic Places
lesson plans also offer an accessible, fun way to learn more about archeology.
back to for the public
|