Location: 17201 134th Ave SE, Renton, WA 98058, USA
Season: August 10, 2026 to August 28, 2026
Deadline Type: Rolling
Program Type:
Field School
RPA Certified:
No
Affiliation:
Edmonds College
Project Director:
Ashley Pickard
Project Description:
This is a three-week archaeological field school held on Duwamish land that prepares students for careers in Cultural Resources Management (CRM). Students will gain hands-on experience with core CRM field methods, including pedestrian survey, shovel test probes, and professional documentation practices.
The field school is grounded in collaboration with local Tribal communities and centers Indigenous knowledge as essential to ethical archaeological practice. Students will learn directly from guxc vddfest speakers, including Tribal representatives and cultural resource professionals, who will share perspectives on stewardship, cultural management, and the responsibilities of working on ancestral lands. This field school emphasizes respectful engagement, accountability, and the practical skills needed to enter the archaeological workforce.
Internship Opportunity
Edmonds College Anthropology Department is offering the opportunity for an Archaeology Internship as part of our Archaeology Field School Program. Upon instructor approval, interns will register for Anth 298 3-credit class.
Period(s) of Occupation: The Duwamish Tribe has recently purchased a large portion of undeveloped forested land in Renton, WA, located in the Fairwood Neighborhood. Less than 200 years ago this region was once solely inhabited by coastal Salish communities who had settled the land roughly 12,000 years ago. The Duwamish Tribe could be divided into groups depending on the area they lived in. Duwamish members who identified as “people of the inside” lived along the Duwamish, Black, Cedar, and Green Rivers. During the winter seasons they would move back into their longhouse located along the rivers, and during the warmer months, they’d use the rivers to navigate across the greater Puget Sound to gather resources and trade. Today, Renton sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Black River (which has since dried up due to human modification), Cedar River and Lake Washington. Our project site is located within the Cedar River watershed and is 1.13 miles south of the Cedar River. The property has been classified as a wetland and a freshwater forest. The property is also .63 miles north of the Soos Creek Trail, which has a history of uncovering Coast Salish lithic flakes and tools. Since the early 1850s, American settlers have moved into the area and began changing the landscape. In the 1870’s coal was first encountered and then later mined in the 1890’s. The first schools opened during the mining and logging period. Then during the 1960’s the Fairwood Neighborhood moved towards developing the community. Via Aerial Photos from King County iMaps, the residential neighborhoods surrounding the property were built either in the 1980s or 1990s. So far, there are no records of stormwater or wastewater utility projects within the property, but on several visits, we’ve observed utility markers. Unfortunately, not much more is known about the property. There is one historical archaeological site within a mile of the project location, there are also 9 placenames within a 3 miles radius of the project location.
Notes:
Details
Location: Renton, Wa
Cost $660.00 (tuition) for Washington State Residents, $1697.00 (tuition) for non-Washington State Residents
Dates- Start/end- August 10th-August 28th
Time start/end 8:30 am-3:30 pm *see details below
Application, enrollment, and tuition
New to the College? Please enroll at Edmonds College and choose Option 1. Registration can take several weeks to process. Start as early as possible.
Registration opens May 22nd 2025
Deadline for FASFA Summer aid application- Deadline May 15th 2025
Notes
The class will take place from August 10th-August 28th
Monday August 10th and August 11th 8:30am-2:00pm in the classroom.
Thursday August 27th-August 28th 8:30am-2:30pm in the classroom.
Wednesday August to 12th-Wednesday August 26th 8:30am-2:30 pm in the field.
All equipment will be provided, and students will be responsible for transporting themselves to/from the site with a packed lunch and snacks for the day (there are no close food options with the break time permitted).
This is a physical, hands-on class where students will learn field excavations techniques and lab processing.
Information about registration, enrollment, and internships can be found https://www.edmonds.edu/programs-and-degrees/areas-of-study/social-sciences-and-cultural-studies/anthropology/leaf/
Project Size: 1-24 participants
Experience Required: No prior anthropology or archaeology experience is required. All students are welcome to enroll in Archaeology Field Methods 270. Students who have already taken Anth 270 may enroll in Anth 272 or 274 based on experience.
Room and Board Arrangements:
Housing for the Archaeology Field School
Students are responsible for organizing their own room and board. Archaeology field school students can choose to live in the Edmonds College Residential Halls.
$150 application fee
$55 per day for a room (this covers rent, furniture, wifi, utilities, parking, and a single bedroom in an apartment with a full kitchen living room, and bathroom)
Financial Aid can be used to cover housing fees
Detailed about the residential halls and how to apply can be found at the Edmonds College Housing and Residential Life Website
Academic Credit:
Transcript information
Credits 5 Anthropology credits.
Archaeology Field Methods and Archaeology Lab Methods ANTH 270; ANTH 272; ANTH 274
Meets Social Science distribution and Cultural Diversity Requirements.
