The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking participants to work on an excavation within the footprint of the Spanish fort that founded the city of Santa Barbara. Located in the heart of downtown, this field project presents the opportunity to excavate
Join the Excavation Project!
Application Instructions for 2016
Season Dates:
Sunday, June 26-Saturday, July 23, 2016
Application Deadline: Sunday, May 1, 2016
contexts from Spanish Colonial period and American period, including the 20th century Japanese community who lived there. Field school participants selected for the program will receive instruction on excavation techniques, note taking, artifact processing, historic preservation, and community engagement. In addition, there will be two educational lectures each week in the evening and one day field trips of local sites each weekend.
The project is part of an ongoing effort to preserve, restore, reconstruct, and interpret the historic resources of Santa Barbara. Participants will spend four weeks excavating, processing artifacts, and visiting key historic sites and resources in the county. All levels of archaeological experience are welcome and accommodated. Students from any academic program, as well as individuals outside of academia, are encouraged to apply.
University of California, Santa Barbara Extension offers 9 units (equivalent to 6 semester units) of professional-level credit for this course. The approved course number is ED X325.
Participants will be based in one of the private residence halls (www.tropicanagardens.com) servicing the University of California, Santa Barbara. Double occupancy rooms are arranged in suites, with shared common areas and bathrooms. Laundry facilities are on site. Breakfast and dinner will be served in the cafeteria, while packed lunches will be made available each day at the morning meal.
The cost of $4500 (USD) covers housing in dormitories, all meals, course credit, archaeological instruction, bussing to/from site daily, and weekend fieldtrips for the four week season. Flights and all travel to Santa Barbara are not included.
To apply to join us on the 2016 field season, send the following to:
Dr. Melissa Chatfield, chatfield@sbthp.org
1. Your name, email, birth date (minimum age is 18).
2. A transcript (if applicable). Unofficial is acceptable.
4. Names and email contact information for two references we can contact
5. Your responses to the following questions (in about 200-300 words each):
A. Why do you want to be a part of the Santa Barbara Presidio Archaeological Project?
B. What archaeological and/or vocational experience do you have that might be valuable
on the Project? (Please note that no previous archaeological experience is necessary)
C. Give an example of when the arts or history or an idea changed the way you perceive
the world.
D. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
The Field School is competitive, and we can accept only a certain number of applicants. We encourage you to submit substantive responses to the questions.
Research Staff:
Melissa Chatfield, PhD, RPA
Principal Investigator
Director of Education
Mike Imwalle
Principal Investigator
Staff Archaeologist