The Department of Archaeology
and Landscapes at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
is offering one funded research position for May 27 through July 25.  This internship is intended for early-phase
graduate students and advanced undergraduates who have previous field training
and are looking for more experience conducting fieldwork and supervising field
school students in a research-oriented setting.

 

Poplar
 Forest is the former
retreat home and working plantation of Thomas Jefferson, and is located in the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Lynchburg, Virginia.  Over the past 28 years, archaeologists have
uncovered evidence of Jefferson’s time on the property and the lives of the
enslaved laborers who lived and worked on the plantation during the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries.

 

This year’s fieldwork will
focus on the carriage turnaround located in front of the main house.  The excavations
will be designed to better understand how this landscape feature was
configured, used, and changed over time. In addition, the center of the
turnaround includes the remains of ornamental plantings and debris from the
1845 house fire, which contains numerous artifacts that provide insight into
the materials used to create Jefferson’s retreat house.  The successful applicant will work
alongside the Poplar Forest staff to
assist in all phases of field excavation, including working with and teaching
field school students during the six week field school starting June 2.  This will involve strenuous outdoor labor in
the hot Virginia sun, so good physical health is a must.  In addition, the intern will need to be
comfortable interacting with the public and explaining the archaeological
process to museum visitors.  While in
residence, the successful applicant will also be granted access to the
collections and research facilities of Poplar Forest.  This includes a collection of several hundred
thousand artifacts; a database system containing both archaeological artifact
and context records; and a complete inventory containing over 2,500 historical
documents relating to Poplar Forest.  By partnering with the Poplar
 Forest staff, these collections may then be drawn upon in the
future to support the student’s own research, the products of which could
include professional conference papers, journal articles, Master’s theses, and
PhD dissertations.

 

A stipend of $2,000 will be
provided for the nine week internship, which will be held in conjunction with
the field school.  The intern will be responsible
for making their own housing arrangements as well as providing for their own
meals and transportation.  Information
regarding housing options will be made available through the Poplar Forest
archaeology staff.  Successful applicants
should have at least one field school, and more field experience is a definite
plus.  Knowledge of historical material
culture is required.

 

By April 21, 2014, send the following information to Jack Gary, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes, Poplar Forest, P.O. Box 419, Forest, VA 24551.  

 

1)     
Personal
information: Include your full name, home address, home and work/school
telephone numbers, occupation, and e-mail address. 

 

2)     
A resume or
curriculum vitae.  

 

3)     
A two-page
statement of personal and professional reasons for participating.

 

4)     
Two letters of
recommendation from others addressing the following: 1) your academic and
professional ability and performance and 2) your personality and ability to
work well with others.

 

Selections will be made by
the Poplar Forest Archaeology
Department by April 25, 2014.

 

For more information on Poplar Forest’s ongoing archaeological research
visit: www.poplarforest.org.  Any questions can be directed to Jack Gary at [log in to unmask]
or 434-534-8105.