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Register for the 2008 Field School
June 16-July 25, 2008
Participation open to the public
No Experience Necessary
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Field School for College Credit |
Field School Public Registration |
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June 16-20
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June 16-20
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June 23-27
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June 23-27
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June 30-July 4
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July 21-25
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July 7-July 11
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Field Day is Saturday, July 12!
**Registration forms can be found at the bottom of this page**
Following the conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico and the Inka in South America, Spain looked to "La Florida" for more land and riches. Hernando de Soto and his army traveled from Florida through North Carolina in 1540 on their way to the Mississippi River. In 1566, Juan Pardo left the Spanish town of St. Elena on the South Carolina coast and traveled into North Carolina in search of an overland route to Mexico. Scholars have debated the routes of Soto and Pardo for years but archaeological investigations at the Berry site (31BK22), north of Morganton in Burke County, provide evidence that both of these Spanish expeditions passed through the Catawba River valley.
The Berry site is a large (nearly 12 acres) Mississippian site that dates to the Burke phase (15th and 16th centuries A.D.) and is believed to represent an ancestral Catawba Indian town. We believe this site to be the location of the native town of Joara, at which Pardo built Fort San Juan in 1567 (20 years before the "Lost Colony). The 2008 archaeology field school will concentrate on a one-acre area where 16th century Spanish artifacts and the remains of five burned buildings have been located. We believe these structures may represent the remains of the Spanish compound, Forst San Juan. Pardo also renamed the Native settlement Cuenca, after his hometown in Spain. Quenca and Fort San Juan represent the earliest European settlement in the interior of what is now the United States. Participants in the 2008 field school will work to map and excavate the area round one of these burned buildings. While the field school is underway, another crew will be excavating one of the burned buildings as part of a multi-year grant from the National Science Foundation. Field school participants will also assist in this effort.
You may view images from the 2001-2007 field schools at the Berry site at our web page: www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch/fieldschool
David Moore will lead the Summer 2008 archaeology field school at the Berry site. David Moore conducted investigations at the Berry site in 1986, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. He has directed numerous field schools since 1978 at the Warren Wilson site (31BN29) and other sites in western North Carolina. His book entitled, Catawba Valley Mississippian: Ceramics, Chronology, and Catawba Indians, has recently been published by the University of Alabama Press. David received his MA and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and served as the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology's Western Office archaeologist for 18 years before becoming a full-time faculty member at Warren Wilson College.
Registration Information
This may be the opportunity you have always wanted: to explore archaeology. You will learn how to identify stone tools, pottery, and other artifacts, and your participation in the field school will help to reveal new evidence of the interactions between 16th century Native Americans and Spanish invaders in western North Carolina. No previous archaeological experience is necessary, but enrollment is limited. Enrollment is available for a non-credit participant fee of $300.00 per week and you may enroll for 1-4 weeks. Children aged 14-15 years may enroll if accompanied by an enrolled adult. Children 16 years of age and older may enroll on their own.
Working on an archaeology site is a unique experience. It is educational and exciting. However, we urge all participants to be aware that working conditions are variable. Excavation Methods is outside (unless lab work is scheduled on rain days) and we recommend that participants wear appropriate work clothes. We also recommend hats to protect against sun exposure. Participants may bring lunches and snacks to the site (there is always water on site; you are welcome to bring any other non-alcoholic beverages). The work schedule is Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. All equipment and supplies are provided.
We are currently unable to provide housing for participants. If arrangements are worked out for group housing following your registration, we will immediately inform you of that possibility. However, there are numerous motels in the Morganton area as well as several campgrounds within a 30-minute drive of the site. We will be glad to assist you in finding suitable accommodations.
Field school enrollment is limited. To reserve a spot please return the appropriate registration form along with a $25.00 non-returnable deposit for each week of enrollment. Full payment must be received by June 16, 2008. Registrations made after June 16, 2008, for any remaining spaces must be accompanied by full payment. Please include names of each participant.
We will be glad to answer any questions you may have about the field school. Please contact David Moore at (828) 771-2013; email: dmoore@warren-wilson.edu. You may also wish to visit our web site at www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch/ where you may read more about the Berry site and view images from previous field schools. You may also view images from previous field schools at the Warren Wilson site (1999 and 2000).
Please note that the annual Field Day is scheduled for Saturday July 12, 2008. Mark your calendars!
2008 Registration Form (not for college credit)
If you are interested in receiving Warren Wilson College credit for work at Field School, please use the following form to register:
2008 Student Registration Form (for college credit)