2026 Underwater Cultural Resource Management at Lake Erie, PA

Location: Erie, PA, USA

Season: July 26, 2026 to August 14, 2026

Application Deadline: April 10, 2026

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://anthroctr.org/program/2026-us-pa-lake-erie/

Discount for AIA members: None

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M University, Seneca Nation of Indians, and Anthropocene Research Center

Project Director:
Dr. Ben Ford, Dr. Jessi Halligan and Dr. David George-Shongo

Project Description:

Cultural Resource Management, the legally required management and protection of our shared heritage, requires archaeologists to do more than just archaeology. CRM work requires an understanding of legal frameworks, professional ethics, consultation, and project management. Conducting CRM in an underwater environment also requires specialized skills in marine remote sensing, landscape reconstruction, and, occasionally, SCUBA diving.

This field school teaches the skills of underwater Cultural Resource Management through research on the submerged landscapes of Lake Erie. This program will not focus on shipwrecks (the more academic side of marine archaeology) but on understanding submerged landscapes as this is the mainstay of Marine CRM work and where the greatest need for trained marine CRM professionals is. The skills taught in this course are similar to those employed in CRM to identify sites prior to offshore energy (wind, oil, and gas) development. This course is appropriate for students interested in both Cultural Resource Management and traditional academic archaeology in an underwater environment.

Period(s) of Occupation: Pre and Post Contact Periods

Notes:
Tuition is $3,940; Earn 6 Semester Credit Units (equivalent to 9 Quarter Credit Units) through our School of Record – Culver Stockton College

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full session

Minimum Age: 18 years old

Experience Required: A SCUBA certification course will be offered the week prior to the field school for students who do not possess a certification. Contact Ben Ford (ben.ford@iup) for more information. Students need basic SCUBA certification from a nationally recognized organization. Students are required to have medical clearance to dive signed by a doctor. This is hands-on, experiential learning and students will study on-site how to conduct archaeological research. Field work involves physical work and exposure to the elements and thus requires a measure of understanding that this will not be the typical university learning environment. You will have to work outdoors and will get sweaty and tired. Students are required to come equipped with sufficient excitement and an adequate understanding that fieldwork requires real, hard work, in the sun and wind. The work requires patience, discipline, and attention to detail.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Accommodation will be in the Gannon University student suites. These are suite-style dormitory rooms consisting of individual bedrooms with semi-private bathrooms and shared kitchens and communal space. Students are responsible for their own meals. We will have a communal meal once a week, paid by the program.

Academic Credit:
6 Semester Credit Units (equivalent to 9 Quarter Credit Units) through our School of Record – Culver Stockton College