The successful candidate will work on-site with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff to prepare archaeological materials for documentation, cataloging, and curation. Duties include:

1)  Archaeologists at the Burns District of the Oregon/Washington State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) made it a policy to collect diagnostic stone tools from sites and isolated contexts since the 1980s. The practice continued until 2021 when it was suspended. Many artifacts were maintained in storage at the district office, awaiting possible transfer to curatorial facilities or tribal museums. Those efforts stalled and the agency now seeks to clear the backlog of archaeological materials. Approximately 10,000 artifacts are housed in the Burns District BLM Headquarters in southeast Oregon. Each group of artifacts from a specific site or survey project will require reconciliation with project records, photo documentation, and cross-matching with the catalog. Each assemblage will be prepared for curation utilizing the standards established by the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

2)  The intern will work in-person with the district archaeologist and archaeological technician documenting the cultural assemblage from the diverse northern Great Basin region encompassed by the Burns District. The area includes Steens Mountain, Catlow Valley, Alvord Desert, Malheur and Harney Lakes, and the upland root grounds to the north. The majority of the work will be collections-based, with opportunities for field work.

3)  A recent remodel of the district office required all of the cultural resource records to be boxed and stored until the project was completed. The records include site forms, project reports, tickler files, and maps relating to the various projects. Records associated with projects where artifacts were collected will need to be separated and digitized for inclusion with curated artifacts. The work will include digital scanning of paper files, photographs, and slides to Dept. of the Interior (DOI) standards and preparation of those files separately for DOI Records.

4)  Based on the age and varying quality of site records, it is anticipated that ground-truthing of site locations may be necessary at times to modify and enhance records and provide updated monitoring reports. Field reconnaissance of this kind is an important aspect of cultural resource management and will help to provide significant archaeological context for the education of the intern.

5)  Completion of the internship will require a ten-page summary documenting specific accomplishments over the course of the internship, and a presentation to brief District administrative staff on project outcomes and suggestions for next steps.

This position is part of the Internship Program administered by the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE). The program is a partnership between the National Park Service and NCPE. Eligibility requirements apply; visit https://preservenet.org/ncpe-internships/ for details and instructions on how to apply.