00:00.00 archpodnet Welcome to the show. Everyone joining me today as cohosts are Heather and Andrew both in California I'm just not saying it anymore because it's just like everybody's in California. So yeah. 00:05.86 Heather Good morning. Everybody. 00:08.83 Andrew Kinkella Hey guys, how's it going. 00:16.12 Heather Some areas in California are better than others but but as so close so close yet so far. 00:20.72 archpodnet That's true and the ironic thing is I'm I'm like an hour from both of them Andrew and Heather right now. So we happen to be in California too so closer to Andrew yeah I know I know so anyway so we have a great podcast today and it's It's about a serm field school which I don't think we've ever talked about at anybody that's actually running one but you know we have talked about the need for them I'm going to read our guest bio real quick and then we'll bring him on so Dr Jason King is the executive director of the center for american archeology in campsville illinois he heard it. He earned his b a from the University Of South Carolina and a and ph d from the University Of New Mexico since 2001 he has directed ca fieldwork and field schools at several lower Illinois Valley sites including mound house golden eagle campsville lock and german sites. Primary research interest focus on the formation and maintenance of social groups during the woodland period Jason how's it going welcome to the show. 01:19.61 Jason King Us going? Great Um, thank you for having me. 01:23.20 archpodnet Yeah, no problem. No problem. No so I was made aware of what you guys are doing through the I might have to edit this out center for field sciences is that what it's called. Do you know I'm not going about? Yeah okay, let me talk let me start that over. 01:33.12 Jason King Yes, yes. 01:38.73 archpodnet I was made aware of what you're doing and and your field school and introduced to you through the center for field sciences who we are actually talking about hopefully doing some advertising with because they are helping promote and get people to field schools and that just sounds like a ah really great opportunity. And the person I was talking to mentioned you and this field school So I was like oh man this is exactly the kind of thing we've been saying we need for ah for a really long time. So Why don't you Why don't you start out and just tell us all about the field school and then we'll then we'll talk about it. 02:07.35 Jason King Sure, um, the field school. There's there's actually 2 sessions of it 1 in may and one in late August into September and there are 2 separate 4 week field schools that are designed specifically. To teach the skills that folks going into entry-level jobs in crm um, you know will need to actually get those jobs as opposed to what we you know, think of as more traditional style field schools. That's more researcher academic work focused. 02:37.83 archpodnet Ah, okay, and that is yeah that is that is so necessary because as people know when you apply for a job in Crm two of the primary requirements are usually a b eight in something archeology history related typically archeology and a field school. But no qualifications are ever put on that field school sometimes they might say regional field school like they want somebody to have a field school locally. But I haven't seen that in a really long time but generally it's just http://like.dot.fieldschool right? like I don't know I've been working in crm since 2005 and my field school was a paleoanthropology site in oldevvi gorge africa 03:07.90 Jason King Feel. Yeah, yeah. 03:13.59 Heather Yeah I think people kind of they've kind of given up on I mean obviously the regional aspect's important. But I think people have just they keep lowering the bar because they're just you know it's difficult to put that on on people. 03:15.53 archpodnet Literally didn't teach me anything about c or I in the United States ah 03:26.89 archpodnet Yeah. 03:28.46 Andrew Kinkella Yeah, but Chris is totally ready if we find an australopitheine so Chris you can take that. Yeah. 03:32.83 archpodnet Yeah, that is totally right? Yeah that i' just what I'm waiting for is literally what I'm waiting for the yeah so I mean maybe I'll have to dig it the ah the ah oh what is it called the early man site in California. It's like my ja ah. 03:32.87 Heather It's just not happening. 03:39.63 Jason King But. 03:39.74 Heather Ah, never tell you. 03:46.82 Andrew Kinkella Um, yeah, yeah, Gallico early man site. 03:48.56 Heather Ah, Calico can I go. 03:52.43 archpodnet Yeah, cool. That's right, nice nice. So what? what caused you to to put this field 2 together you are you are an academic your professor. Ah what need were you trying to fill here. Oh yeah, oh that's right? yeah. 04:01.34 Jason King Well I'm I'm not a professor actually I'm full time at the cia but that but that that's a good question in that. Um I it kind of ah all came together sort of at the right time. Ah, the center for american archeology. We've been around since 53 and for decades have offered all kinds of field schools for students and and the public to engage in archaeology and students applying for and enrolled in our adult field school, especially it seems like. To me in the past few years have really expressed a desire for program that will help them get land a job as soon as you know they are done or you know shortly after which of course very reasonable and um at at the same time. Ah. 04:43.79 archpodnet M. 04:54.45 Jason King As we're getting more of these questions. Um, you know this opportunity came up to partner with a center for field sciences ah to develop exactly this kind of program and so starting last summer that's what we did. And it really is to address this need for specific training for students and to meet the demand the the workforce demand that the c r m field has right now. So this this is brand new. Um. 05:19.32 archpodnet Awesome! Awesome! That's really cool. How long has field school been running this particular one brand new. Okay. 05:28.43 Jason King May the may program that starts may eighth. There will be our very first um, iteration of this specific field school. You know as I said the center's been operating field schools for a long time. It has been historically involved in both sort of what we call academic research and um. 05:38.68 archpodnet So yeah. 05:46.48 Jason King For a long time did maintain a crm crew and so ah, you know we're taking what we know and what we're really good at ah which is providing programs and training in archeology and really focusing in on the kinds of skills that ah field Techs will need to land a job so instead of. 05:48.89 archpodnet Okay. 06:06.30 Jason King Block excavations or you know test units were you know, really focusing on phase one work and the laws reporting and just sort of the general doing of Crm field work for people at this level. 06:20.62 archpodnet Okay. 06:21.19 Heather And Jason do you I'm curious. Do you have a consultant a seara consultant who is actually making sure that the skills that you're teaching I don't know what your crant background is so maybe that's the first question and then the second question is if you don't have a c orrant background. 06:31.82 Jason King I. 06:40.28 Heather Do you have COrMProfessionals um from different types of companies. Um consulting on on what would be best to teach. 06:49.68 Jason King Yes, absolutely I've done a little bit of ah crm work myself. However, that's not been professionally. My main focus. Um the the other person involved in in running this program for for the whole four weeks is is Don Booth he is just retired um from a Crm position though. Still consulting ah where he was the chief archaeologist for sci engineering and he's going to be joining and taking a leadership role in the in the field program. So we're working together on this I wouldn't. Certainly go into this without that kind of collaboration with someone that has extensive experience in crn because it's important I think for students not only be trained by folks who have been in this for a long time but also can give them you know. Good quality advice on how to proceed with their careers once they finish the program. 07:49.98 Heather Great Mom Glad to hear that? yep. 07:50.12 archpodnet Nice, yeah absolutely and and where specifically is this field school what kind of I guess are you are more specifically my question is you know you mentioned you know that. Block excavation stuff like that you know doing the doing the skills that are necessary does that mean you're jumping around for that few that four weeks and and and going where the skills can best be applied or do you have a ah specific area that you're going to run this in. 08:15.54 Jason King Ah, yes to both questions. Um the center we've been doing ah archeological research of all kinds in the lower Illinois River valley for a long time and so our focus will be there which is this is where campsville is located in the ca's headquarters. 08:31.90 archpodnet M. 08:35.45 Jason King Um, right now we've been doing work at a residential site and from the late woodland period in a Crawford Creek Valley which is a little tributary to the Illinois Valley and there are a number of ah sites that haven't had any or potential sites that haven't had. 08:45.85 archpodnet Okay. 08:54.71 Jason King Any real work done at them and so we're going to try you know to complement our ongoing work. We're going to try to work in there. However, you know working in um, the lower Illinois Valley as in other places. Um, you know there's the issues of permission from landowners. And so access to the sites. But we're going to try. We're going to try to work at a number of places so that students can get you know experiences with walkover shovel testing and different strategies towards that and we also plan to incorporate. Ah, both pre-columbian and some historic. Ah. Dominated work so that students get you know, ah appreciation of the range of context that they they could be working and will be working. 09:37.81 archpodnet All right? yeah and along those liness of those experience you're going to have a backho following behind them at ten feet and an angry rancher with a shotgun in front of them. 09:45.74 Andrew Kinkella Ah. 09:46.80 Jason King Ah, that we we we haven't worked that into the syllabus again. This is our first shot. So maybe for the second session in ah in the fall. 09:47.94 Heather Ah. 09:54.52 archpodnet Right? Nice, Nice ah man I do yeah. 09:58.91 Andrew Kinkella Yeah I have a question ah Jason um I'm wondering if you take me sort of through the four weeks like ah, how much time is going to be spent on lab work. You know it's kind of dovetails off the question. We just. 10:01.57 Jason King Is it. 10:06.63 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 10:08.36 Heather I want. 10:13.37 Andrew Kinkella Came from and also for the students themselves. Do they all find their own place to live or are you living in tents or is that is there a dorm just wondering about that. 10:18.26 Jason King Ah, Wow. Wow. Okay, no, um, no so what. 10:20.41 archpodnet For a Cd Motel room. 10:28.39 Jason King Wow, that's a lot that's a lot of questions so just sort of an overview without actually the syllabus in front of me the focus. So our our general um sort of work week is we will be doing five and a half days so Monday through Friday and you know part day saturday. 10:28.49 Andrew Kinkella I know. 10:45.27 Andrew Kinkella Um, right. 10:45.72 archpodnet M. 10:47.30 Jason King Ah, there will be lab and field work interspersed whether that lab work be you know, washing artifact identification. All those things um as well as the different kinds of field work 1 might engage in and so during those four weeks the first two weeks two and a half weeks are more focused. 10:54.48 Andrew Kinkella Yeah, sure. 11:06.84 Jason King Um, on the field work. But I'll slowly transition into lab work and learning how excuse me learning how to actually put the pieces of a report together too. That's one of the things that we really wanted to focus on is how all of this material. 11:19.82 Andrew Kinkella Um, right. 11:23.96 Jason King That we collect all these observations whether sites there or not archaeological material or not how it is that this ultimately gets reported and then supplemented with all of this or will be lectures from different specialties in archaeology and how that interacts with Cr m. 11:36.22 Andrew Kinkella Um, yeah. 11:40.19 Jason King Ah, lectures and discussions of the relevant laws and of course these are going to um you know vary across the country. We can't focus on everything but you know Illinois the midwest will be our example and we hope that like with our other programs that we give people a foundation where they can engage in the archaeology and relevant matter. Wherever they are and like in the country. 12:00.15 Andrew Kinkella Right? yeah. 12:02.49 Heather So um, I'm I'm ah I'm curious now. Obviously the lectures you know I love the idea of um, including the regulatory side of Crm that's so important and there's so few people that understand it I think it's a lot. Um. 12:02.96 archpodnet Go ahead, hit. 12:13.39 Jason King Like button. 12:21.27 Heather You you know the more that you learn the more you realize you don't know when it comes to the regulatory side of things and the complexity of understanding obviously comes with a lot of time in the business. Um, but for new entry level archeologists coming into. The business is really important for them to understand that you know Crm is the the underpinning of Crm is regulatory. So um, and really guides a lot of what we do. So I'm I'm glad to hear that but as far as the lectures go. That's awesome I am curious. If there is a difference in how you approach the field work um compared to how you would do it if you were just writing a regular field school which you've done for a long time. So is there a different approach to the actual methodology or the actual act of. Field work with respect to this t r m school. 13:16.86 Jason King Um I think I understand what you're asking. Yeah yeah in some degree? Yes, um, are sort of more traditional for lack of a better word field schools that we operate um these are sites where we expect to be. Doing excavation for at least a few years and so there's sort of a long-term research goal and excavation strategy with that with the crm program. We really are focusing on teaching people the phase one skills. Ah, that they would need including you know the survey surface collection shovel testing and all of that and we do hope to incorporate a little bit of excavation because we expect many of these students like any other field school are going to come in with no experience whatsoever. So our desire is to sort of give them the broadest. 14:08.91 archpodnet M. 14:13.49 Jason King Ah, possible experience that we can within that four week period granted four weeks isn't that long. However, you know they they are. They are long days our our our days start around six forty five and with some breaks in there. Go to about 9 p m. 14:31.76 archpodnet Cheese. Yeah, okay, yeah, exactly. 14:32.69 Andrew Kinkella Wow. 14:32.70 Jason King Most of the week so it's going to be an intensive program. 14:36.16 Heather Well Let'd see or I'm for you. Ah. 14:38.26 Jason King Yeah, and and and I will say as far as the housing goes the center for American Archaeology has dorms in Campsville and the students will be staying there and so the housing. Ah. And you know food are all included in that. 14:56.10 archpodnet Okay, yeah, and that that leads me to a couple quick questions before we probably go to break so how many people are you taking this first time around. 14:56.13 Andrew Kinkella Yeah, that's really great. 15:06.80 Jason King So I believe the cap. Ah for the program is set and around 20 Um, and so you know we're hoping that we can fill that. Ah, but we're aware this is a new program and is often the case with these kind of new programs. Ah. 15:12.74 archpodnet Okay. 15:20.50 archpodnet Sure. 15:25.55 Jason King We're going to try to do it with whoever shows up and hope that this can build into a a real experience that can contribute positively to ah you know, sort of see archeology in general and Crm um training and hopefully can serve as a model for. 15:43.78 archpodnet Nice, nice and do you know? Ah, you may not know this. But do you know the cost of the program What they're charging. Okay, do you. 15:44.80 Jason King For others. 15:50.60 Jason King Um, I don't off the top my head but I have it written down. It's ah it's it's forty it's $4800 and I believe that's for 8 um eight semester credits. 15:53.55 Heather I I do okay as well say I have your I have the website open. Yeah. 16:03.71 archpodnet Okay, yeah, all right? That's not too bad. Yeah, it's pretty. 16:04.71 Heather Yeah I on this Yes, this room and board arrangements. So it sounds like though I was I'm looking at the a a I a website are the room that is included those costs are. 16:18.71 archpodnet Mm. 16:21.91 Jason King Room room and board are included so they'll have somewhere to stay and it feeds students and staff as well from monday breakfast through Saturday lunch and after that everybody has time off till Monday morning again. 16:22.27 Heather Includes your room and board correct. Okay. 16:36.25 archpodnet Nice, Okay, all right? Well I think that's a good point to take our first break and we will come back and continue talking about this awesome new field school back in a minute. 16:36.47 Heather Got it. 16:39.67 Jason King More effect.