Job description
Join a dynamic team of professional archaeologists dedicated to uncovering and protecting cultural heritage. This full-time opportunity offers hands-on fieldwork, collaborative research, and meaningful contributions to community archaeology programs in Charlottesville and beyond.
As a Field Technician, you will contribute to site surveys, excavations, and the meticulous recording of contexts, while upholding the highest standards of safety and ethics. You’ll have access to advanced equipment, ongoing training, and clear pathways for career growth within a respected heritage organization.
Ready to help shape discoveries that inform our collective history? Apply now and join a team that values rigor, collaboration, and impact.
Responsibility
- Lead and assist field surveys and excavations at archaeological sites, ensuring precise recording of contexts and stratigraphy.
- Manage daily field operations, safety, logistics, and data collection using field notebooks, photography, GPS, and GIS tools.
- Document and map artifact provenience, context, and feature preservation; supervise artifact handling, labeling, and curation.
- Collaborate with CRM teams, project directors, and stakeholders to support research questions, compliance, and reporting requirements.
- Maintain organized field forms, digital backups, and high-quality site photographs; contribute to post-excavation analysis.
- Assist with on-site lab preparation, artifact cleaning, cataloging, conservation, and preliminary analysis.
- Contribute to site reports, publication-ready summaries, and outreach materials for local communities and partner institutions.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in archaeology, anthropology, or related field; field or lab work with 2+ years of experience preferred.
- Demonstrated field methods experience: excavation, surveying, recording contexts, and data collection; proficiency with GIS, GPS, and total station.
- Knowledge of CRM compliance, cultural resource management laws, permit processes, and ethical guidelines.
- Strong organizational skills, data management, and attention to detail; ability to work outdoors in varying conditions; valid driver's license.
- Effective communication and teamwork; ability to document findings clearly and contribute to reports; basic drafting skills.
- Proficiency with artifact handling, basic lab techniques, conservation principles, and safety adherence.
- Willingness to travel or relocate for field seasons and data collection, sometimes with irregular hours.