Job Listing
 🔗Archeology, Archival & Public Outreach Intern – 480 Hours

  • Internship
  • NCPE Internship
  • Vicksburg, MS
  • 20.00 USD / Hour
  • Applications have closed
  • Department: Vicksburg National Military Park - Resources Division, Archeology Section
  • Job Reference #: 4054
  • Job Qualifications:

    Interns are to have university level coursework and experience in the following areas:

    1. Completion of advanced courses in North American archaeology and history.

    2. Excellent writing & communication skills, adaptability, and taking full ownership of all aspects of their internship experience.

    3. Archaeological field experience in either an academic field school and/or through extensive fieldwork in cultural resources management.

    4. Coursework and experience with artifact collection, processing, inventory, analysis, and curation, particularly working with a wide range of historic era materials, as well as coursework and/or direct experience concerning care and protocols for proper management of museum collections.

    5. The intern is also expected to work independently when conducting literature & archival searches online, and when conducting basic artifact analyses as directed.  In contrast, the intern will be expected to work closely and under the direct supervision of the park archeologist or other task-designated supervisor when conducting any aspect of fieldwork or when working with collections or archival documents in any of the labs or collections facilities within the park, or during any public engagement activities.

  • How to Apply:

    Click on the application button at this listing and follow the instructions to apply online.

  • Job benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO), Housing Allowance
  • Physical Demands / Work Environment: The intern will occasionally need to be able to work outside in hot temperatures on rough terrain, and properly contend with noxious plants or hazardous wildlife. Intern also must be able to lift 40 lbs. and stand for moderate periods in a typical museum lab and office setting. Reasonable accommodations and adjustments to assigned duties can be made upon request.
  • Application Email: waso_cr-intern@nps.gov

Website National Park Service/NCPE Internship Program

Vicksburg National Military Park covers 1,800 acres with over 1,300 monuments, markers, tablets, and plaques commemorating the April 1862 to July 4, 1863 Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In 1990, Senate bill S.2437 broadened our interpretive mandate to also include the history of Vicksburg under Union occupation up through end of Reconstruction. The park preserves 9 fortifications, over 20 miles of reconstructed trenches, approaches and parallels, 15 historic bridges, 5 historic buildings, 141 cannon & carriages, a visitor center, the USS Cairo gunboat and museum, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery, with over 17,000 Union soldier interments, the largest number of Civil War soldiers of any national cemetery in the United States. While less than 20 archeological sites have been previously recorded, ongoing surveys are rapidly adding to that number including numerous pre-contact Native American sites & a possible late 18th century colonial Spanish occupation.

The successful candidate will work in person within the Cultural Resources Section of the Resources Division at Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK).  The Cultural Resources Section is tasked with not only protecting but also promoting an appreciation for this National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-listed cultural resource entrusted to its care by the National Park Service (NPS) and by the American People. This section is also responsible for compliance with all applicable regulations including but not limited to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).

VICK’s Cultural Resources staff consists of a Section Chief, a Cultural Resource Program Manager, a Park Archeologist, and is in the process of hiring a Museum Curator. The intern will work directly under the supervision of the Park Archeologist for the following primary tasks:

1) Conducting detailed literature reviews & archival searches, assisting with archaeological field reconnaissance,  conducting artifact inventory, identification, and analyses, most particularly for historic period materials, and updating multiple archeological site inventories including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Site Inventory, as well as the National Park Service’s (NPS) CRIS Inventory for park archeological resources.

2) Secondary tasks will include: Coordination & assistance of university partners and/or contracted archeological consultants in conducting geophysical or other specialized field investigations at VICK or at one of our affiliated properties, such as at the Champion Hill or Port Gibson battlefields; assisting the VICK Cultural Resources Program Manager and/or Museum Curator with museum collections & archival document cataloging & curation; working directly with the VICK Program Manager for Visitor Experience and Outreach in the development of archeologically-themed “Grab & Go Kits” to be used in schools and for public events.

Specific products the intern is expected to produce upon completion of their internship will include:

a) A comprehensive, accurate artifact inventory of all cultural materials from non-burial contexts from the ongoing Vicksburg National Cemetery Stabilization Project (https://www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/vicksburg-national-cemetery-stabilization-project.htm);

b) Develop and write a comprehensive Archeological Resources Predictive Model for Pre-Contact, Pre-Civil War, and Post-Civil War archeological resources within the 1,800 acres of VICK, as well as  produce a comprehensive Literature and Archival Resources Review for the recently acquired NPS units at the Champion Hill and Port Gibson battlefields associated with the 1862-1863 Vicksburg Campaign;

c) Develop and present a formal recommendation plan to the Resources Division on how to establish a viable chapter of the Mississippi Archaeological Association (MAA) in the City of Vicksburg and present a written plan and give a staff presentation as to ways VICK can best promote archaeological site protection on public lands to the community at large;

d) Conduct and document  previous landowner interviews for the two newly acquired Units at the Champion Hill and Port Gibson battlefields, and

e) Produce content including text and photographs for at least 4 archeologically-focused social media posts to be approved by the VICK Program Manager for Visitor Experience and Outreach prior to publication.

The intern will be expected to work with NPS staff at all levels at VICK, as well as with university partners, contracted cultural resources consultants, Mississippi Department of Archives & History staff, private property owners, community leaders, and, most imperatively, with the general public.

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.

Qualified NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate.  Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Visit the website listed above for details about this benefit. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee Federal employment.