The Western Mongolia Archaeology Project

Location: Zuunkhangai, Uvs, Mongolia

Season: May 25, 2023 to June 20, 2023

Session Dates: May 25 to June 20, 2023

Application Deadline: February 28, 2023

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: http://westernmongoliaarchaeology.weebly.com/

Program Type:
Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Western Kentucky University and National Museum of Mongolia

Project Director:
Dr. Jean-Luc Houle (Western Kentucky University) and Dr. Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan (National Museum of Mongolia) Staff: Dr. Oula Seitsonen (Geographer and lithics specialist, University of Oulu, Finland), Dr. Natalia Égüez (Geoarchaeologist, University of La Laguna (Spain) and University of California Davis (USA)); Sarah Pleuger (Zooarchaeologist, University of Edinburgh)

Project Description:

• Investigate the roots of the First Steppe Empire of Mongolia through archaeological fieldwork in the Zuunkhangai region of northwestern Mongolia. 
• Learn state of the art field methods and conduct hands-on work on Bronze and Iron Age sites with an international team of archaeologists who are investigating human-environment relationships and the development of complex societies in Inner Asia.  ​
• Expose yourself to a radically different culture and way of life by living and working among Mongolian pastoral herders who make up one of the world’s last remaining nomadic cultures.​​

This collaborative project between Western Kentucky University and the National Museum of Mongolia aims to investigate human-environment relationships and understand the nature of the social, political, and economic organization of Bronze and Iron Age societies in Mongolia through the use of landscape and settlement archaeology (see Project Overview above for more details).

Located in the grasslands of central Mongolia, the research area is dotted with archaeological sites that date from at least the Late Paleolithic and continues to be inhabited by nomadic pastoralists who have maintained much of their traditional lifeways.

This project accommodates participants wishing to receive academic credit through WKU and those just willing to gain archaeological field experience.

It is also possible to apply online via the Project’s website.

Period(s) of Occupation: Bronze Age, Iron Age

Notes:
Mongolia; Nomadic Pastoralists; Social Complexity; Landscape Archaeology; Settlement Archaeology; Geoarchaeology; Bronze Age; Iron Age; Monuments

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Whole Session

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: Participants need no special training, but should be prepared for physical activity for extended periods of time. The most important things you need for this project are patience, a good sense of humor, and the ability to adapt to radically different cultures and environments.

Room and Board Arrangements:
The field camp consists of a dormitory, a kitchen/mess hall, and outdoor pit toilets. All participants sleep in shared rooms with bunk beds (sleeping bags required). Hired cooks will be responsible for buying and preparing all of the food consumed in the field (see details in the 'Project Overview'). Cost: $2,800 Includes: Transport to and from field, training, lodging and meals in the field, and international medical insurance. Not included: International travel, visas (if needed).

Academic Credit:
3 credits (included) are offered through Western Kentucky University. For details on how to get academic credit, please contact Dr. Jean-Luc Houle