The University of Calgary Public Archaeology program allows members of the public to get dirty and have hands on experience with archaeological excavation! Participants will excavate alongside archaeologists and students from the University of Calgary in Edworthy Park, as we uncover and record a stone circle.
Email: pubarky@ucalgary.ca
Phone: 403-220-8537
The program will operate from May 15th to June 4h , 2024, Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM to 3 PM.
There is a maximum of 3 volunteers per day due to equipment and space requirements.
Email the Public Archaeology Program at pubarky@ucalgary.ca to register or for more information.
More information is also available on the website arts.ucalgary.ca/anthropology-archaeology/about/community-engagement/public-archaeology-program
All participants will be required to complete a volunteer registration and liability waiver form in advance of their program day. Registration and waivers are administered through University of Calgary Active Living at: https://activelivingportal.ucalgary.ca/Program/Archaeology
The minimum age of participation in the program is 12. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times. Participants under the age of 18 must also have their parent or guardian complete an Informed Consent Form.
All volunteers must participate in a daily on-site safety briefing. Please let the Public Program staff know if you have any medical issues that may affect your participation (for example, severe allergies, etc.) and if there is any assistance you specifically require in case of an incident.
Participants must bring their own lunch, water and water bottles, sunscreen, bug repellent, hats, work gloves, and wear weather appropriate clothing. Please check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. For safety reasons, close-toed shoes are required to participate in the excavations. The program will provide all archaeological excavation equipment.
Archaeological excavations require physical activity including kneeling, bending, lifting, screening soil, walking, and carrying heavy objects. Volunteers will be participating in all archaeological excavation activity including digging, screening, recording artifacts, note taking, unit mapping, and drawing excavation profiles. Digging equipment will be provided and volunteers will be trained in archaeological excavation techniques.
Volunteers will check in with dig staff at the designated meeting spot in the second parking lot in the Edworthy Park dog park at 9:30 AM. Additional parking is available throughout the dog park, in the advent this parking lot is full. Transportation to and from the site is the responsibility of program participants
Food is not available at the site and participants are required to bring a lunch, water, and water bottles. Portable toilets will be available nearby.
Please be sure to check the weather forecast and bring appropriate clothing. Expect to be working in the sun so bring a hat and sunscreen. In case of heavy rain, all work will be cancelled for the day. If heavy rain is known in advance, the program will contact registered participants via phone and email to notify them of cancellation.
The Public Archaeology Program, the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, and the University of Calgary are not responsible for cancelled registrations or cancellations as the result of severe weather conditions. We will attempt to contact excavation participants either the night before or early on the day of excavation. Changing weather conditions in the field may require cancellation of the workday while at the site. Participants may re-register for alternative participation dates, but there is no guarantee that there will be other dates available in the excavation program
Bug repellent is useful as you should expect mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, etc.
The designated meeting spot in the second parking lot in the Edworthy Park dog park at 9:30 AM Additional parking is available throughout the dog park, in the advent this parking lot is full.
Please bring your own laptop with a working copy of Microsoft Excel to participate in the laboratory.
Laboratory work is much less strenuous than field work! You will work at tables with packets of artifacts, recording information into excel spreadsheets and lightly cleaning artifacts.