Individual Placement-Alaska- Archaeological Placement

Student Conservation Association•Ketchikan, AK

6h•Onsite

About The Position

The position will be hosted at Ketchikan Supervisor’s Office on the Tongass National Forest based in Ketchikan, Alaska, with opportunities to travel to neighboring districts to assist with Heritage program work throughout the Forest. Projects will predominately include archaeological surveys and site condition assessments, as well as assisting with digital documentation needs such as records management and artifact cataloging. The goal of the position is to introduce students and recent graduates to what it is like to be an archaeologist for the federal government! Placements will be trained in survey methodology, artifact identification, and archival techniques that will provide a foundational skillset necessary for pursuing a professional career in archaeology. The position is primarily field-going and may involve strenuous outdoor activities, such as walking, climbing, riding (ATV), backpacking and overnight camping, often in steep, rough terrain in isolated areas in a forest environment in black/brown bear habitats. Working weather conditions may be inclement at times, but temperatures are usually in the 60s-70s with enough sunny days to combat the rainy ones

Requirements

Participants should have some experience with (and ideally enjoy) working/recreating outside.
Participants should also be actively pursuing, or recently graduated with, an education in Archaeology/Anthropology or a related field such as History or Geography.
Participants should be able to carry 25lbs while traversing rough and uneven terrain over extended walking distances.
Fieldwork often requires 8-10 hours of traversing through forested landscapes that vary in vegetation density, while carrying necessary field gear for the day.
This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger.
Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with mobile mapping and data collection applications such as Avenza and ESRI Field Maps, as well as experience with ArcGIS Pro would be ideal.
Participants should be open to new experiences and cultures, easy going and flexible.
We are looking for someone who is driven in the field of cultural resource management.
Applicants should appreciate hard physical work and enjoy being outside in the woods, but also amendable to office work.

Responsibilities

Assisting District Archaeologists with inventory, evaluation, protection and interpretation of historic and precontact sites located on the Tongass National Forest.
Fieldwork associated with surveys of proposed Forest Service project areas and field verifications of archaeological and historical sites that may be affected by these projects.
Artifact analysis
Digital data documentation (such as scanning hard copy reports and working with our digital site database – Heritage Web)
Collections management.
Assist with outreach events held by the local district, Ketchikan-Misty Fjords National Monument or the local Forest Service Southeast Alaska Discovery Visitor Center.
Cross-training with other program areas, such as recreation or wildlife.