What We’re About

Work with materials at every step from excavation to exhibition as an Archaeology Assistant. You’ll help manage a fully functioning Archaeology Lab that maintains its own collections as well as help teach and guide students through their research. You’ll learn how to analyze, wash, process, and catalog objects found; develop exhibitions; as well as work on independent projects. 

Student Leadership Opportunities

Archaeology Assistant Crew Leader: The crew leader assists the crew supervisor in all aspects of crew activity including supervising, training new crew members, and creating a schedule. You’ll gain a more complete understanding of lab operations, gain experience in computer usage, and develop person-to-person skills.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll spend years working alongside your peers with the mentorship of your supervisors.  Part of the experience of work at Warren Wilson is guided critical reflection, which helps ensure that you achieve both your own educational goals as well as our Common Learning Outcomes. These intentional learning outcomes distinguish our Work Program, giving it focus and relevancy that set it apart from a federal work-study or your average part-time job.

Our Common Learning Outcomes:

• Professionalism & Work Ethic: accountability, effective work habits, punctuality, dependability, time management, integrity, and commitment to the well-being of the community.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: working with available resources to creatively address issues and solve problems, and gaining confidence to make decisions.
• Communication: the ability to convey and receive information effectively with intentionality, honesty, and confidence in both speech and writing.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: actively collaborate with peers to achieve common goals, Distribute labor fairly, and hold each other accountable as committed members of a group.
• Civic Identity: understanding your active influence within the community and how your decisions directly impact the work around you.

In addition to our Common Learning Outcomes, each crew in the Work Program identifies crew-specific goals for learning and performance. These are reviewed with you each semester. Your crew-specific learning goals outline skills and abilities your supervisor will teach you during the semester.

Some of our Archaeology Assistant Learning Goals include:

• Major training in all the aspects and operations of a professional archaeology laboratory.
• Training in software and computer systems used in the lab.
• Gaining experience in working with a group.
• Gaining experience in developing and completing independent projects.
• Some training in field methods.