Summer Internship in Archaeology (2024)

rehousing Ephrata Cloister (36La981) artifact collection (photo courtesy ofCarl Sander Socolow, Dickinson College)

I have been interested in archaeology for as long as I can remember. WhenI was younger, I had a particular interest in ancient Egypt, and I remembergetting all kinds of books and learning materials about mummies for my tenthbirthday. Looking back, this was probably not so normal for a ten year old! Butas I grew older my interests developed, and I realized that I could actually turnthis fascination into a career. And so, this fall I will be starting my senioryear at Dickinson College where I study archaeology and art history. I am veryexcited to have had this opportunity to intern in the Section of Archaeology atPennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) as a Keystone SummerIntern.

mending reconstructed red earthenware vessel from Ephrata Cloister (photo courtesy ofCarl Sander Socolow, Dickinson College)

My experience working in the Section of Archaeology has opened my eyes toso many new opportunities. It is amazinghow much I have learned over the course of the summer. My main project has beenrehousing the artifacts from the excavations at Ephrata Cloisterin Lancaster County. The archaeological fieldschool at Ephrata ran from 1994 to 2003, under the direction of former SeniorCurator, Steve Warfel. The collections were inventoried and housed on openshelving, organized within their year of excavation. My rehousing projectincluded removing the artifacts from their boxes and into acid-free boxes andbags and prior to placing them in drawers for curation. As the artifacts arebeing moved I am also creating a drawer inventory of each catalog number, ageneral artifact class and the new location. This inventory is then recorded inan electronic database maintained by the Section to be used for quick referencein the search for artifacts in the collection. Detailed inventories preparedafter each field season are available for researchers who may be searching fora specific artifact type or class. Freeing up this shelf space is important; thisthen opens up space for more artifacts, increasing the size of our collectionsand the number of artifacts available for research. This project has definitelygiven me a lot of insight into tasks like proper curation practices,conservation, organization, and the duties of a curator.

2014 Keystone Interns at the Pennsylvania Rail Road Museum

As part of the internship, PHMC took us on some great field trips. Wevisited a few PHMC properties and I was able to learn all about Pennsylvania heritage.My favorite trip was our day trip to Ephrata Cloister, Oregon Dairy, and TheRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania. In addition to these field trips, I was ableto tag along on a PennDOT sponsored field trip to McCormick Taylor, aconsulting engineering firm specializing in design, land use planning, andenvironmental studies for transportation-related projects. Before this I hadn’thad much exposure to the world of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeology,but visiting their office gave me a different understanding of CRM and openedit up as a possible career path for the future.

This summer I also had the opportunity to spend four weeks excavating atan archaeological field school in Trim, Ireland. The site was a Late MedievalDominican Friary from the 13^th century. There I learned basicexcavation techniques like taking levels and coordinates, recording features,and how to properly excavate, document, and process human remains (the groundsof the friary also contained medieval burials). This experience, coupled withmy internship, gave me a more complete understanding of the many aspects ofarchaeological research, including excavation, lab procedure and analysis, andpreservation and curation.

This internship has also given me the opportunity to diversify myknowledge base and to learn more about Pennsylvania and Native Americanarchaeology as well as Cultural Resource Management and Historic Preservation. Thissummer I was able to acquire hands-on skills that cannot be taught in theclassroom, and being able to apply my theoretical knowledge to the real worldwas the most valuable experience I had during the internship. In the near future, I hope to attend agraduate program in Archaeology and Bioarchaeology, and then find a job in thefield or in a museum. I have thoroughly enjoyed my summer working at PHMC, andI would highly recommend this internship to anyone else interested inarchaeology.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .