Archaeology Summer Field Program
ANTH 312 - Field Course in Archaeology, 12 credits
Summer Quarter Tentative Dates: July 13- August 21, 2026
The Western Washington University Archaeological Field School is a six-week intensive program that will provide participants with hands-on experience in modern methods of archaeological data collection, analysis, interpretation, and collections curation. The Field School is a component of a broader program to survey a section of the Baker Lake Archaeological District, in Upper Skagit ancestral homelands. The program is a collaboration between the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Puget Sound Energy, and Western Washington University.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology course (ANTH 210) or permission from instructor.
What To Expect
Unlike a traditional on-campus course, archaeological field schools are designed to thoroughly immerse students in intensive, hands-on, active learning contexts. The field school will introduce students to the key areas of archaeological field methods, interpretation, and practice. Field schools represent an important rite of passage for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the academic or public sectors of the profession. It is difficult to meet an archaeologist who does not recall their field school with great fondness and detail.
The Work Week
The day-to-day routine for week 1 (July 13-17) will be a combination of basics, skills development on campus and in the Sehome Arboretum, laboratory work in the WWU Archaeology Lab, and guest lectures.
Beginning in Week 2 (July 20), we will be living in a field camp environment near the Baker River, in Concrete, WA. We will have access to residential buildings with basic services (water, electricity, space to congregate, etc), but the team will be staying in tents. The living conditions will be 'rustic.' The field study site is near Baker Lake in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, in the ancestral territory of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
Field Camp Environment
Our time at the field site will include working outdoors Monday through Friday. We'll be camping Monday through Thursday nights. We can provide transportation for most participants via vans that will leave Bellingham on Monday morning and return Friday evening. Food, field supplies, and most large field tools will be provided. Students will be responsible for camping equipment, clothing, and some personal tools/equipment.
Project Directors
Jerald Ek Romero, Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University
Field School Contact
Jerald Ek Romero, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University ekg@wwu.edu
This six week program will incorporate classroom, field, and laboratory components, providing students with hands-on experience in modern methods of archaeological data collection and interpretation. Participants will learn basic techniques in archaeological fieldwork, as well as a broad understanding of the ways that archaeologists create and evaluate theories about the past. Most importantly, through participating in this work student will gain practical experience in archaeological field methods and community-based participatory research.
Participants in the program will gain practical skills in the following areas:
- Surface Survey
- Shovel testing
- Stratigraphic excavation
- Laboratory collections curation and analysis
- Cartography and orienteering
- Geographic Information Science (GIS)
- Remote sensing
- Landscape archaeology and geoarchaeological methods
- Communication and collaboration skills essential for Community-Based Participatory Research
Program Cost: $600 plus tuition