Cost: check2027
California Field School – Clear Lake Archaeology Project
Foothill College’s Department of Anthropology is offering a low cost field program in California. Anyone can take part, no experience required. Do not have to be a California resident. Foothill College is a community college in CA, so everyone can enroll. The project focuses on the Clear Lake basin for a research and service learning program of study. Program fees are limited ($400) to costs for equipment and camping reservations for ten days in the Clear Lake State Park. Course credits are offe
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | 257Q+Hg Lucerne, Ca, Usa |
| Period | 1850s colonial contact with Pomo indigenous peoples and beyond. Clear Lake is the largest fresh water lake in California. It was densely settled by indigenous peoples as a central gathering place for millennia. In the 1850s the region escaped the Gold Rush, but farming and mining eventually came to dominate the colonial landscape. The native Pomo are world famous for basketry, and the farm land is as famous today for its pears and grapes. The climate mirrors the Mediterranean and the people are eager to show its riches. During the last century Lake County was the go-to destination for tourism because of its amazing thermal springs fed by active volcanic underground water sources. Massive resorts surrounded the lake, this was Hawaii and Cancun all-in-one. What happened? What is the story behind the relationships we see today between native California populations and western farmers. It is a complex history, it is an American story, all taking place in a beautiful lake basin that has been relatively isolated for centuries from the massive development that much of the rest of California has undergone. But it is coming. Roads are getting wider, highways are being developed, and people are moving in - forced out by rising housing costs and Covid, or an interest in the potential of making great wine from these grapes - the landscape is changing once again. There is a pressure to document what we can before it is lost. |
| Dates / season | 10 day session in Clear Lake, California. |
| Status | Listed on AFOB |
| Type | Field School, Volunteer, Staff Position |
| Application deadline | June 30, 2027 |
| Cost | Unknown, ask the project |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Academic credit | Anth 52: Archaeology Field Methods (4 units) |
| Accommodation | Group camp ground at Clear Lake State Park which holds 40 people (project takes care of cost). In addition, cabins are being rented, but will cost more (your dime and you sign up for them). People can also choose to stay in local accommodations. Fishing and water activities are all within the sta |
| Last checked | 2026-10-16 |
Details are copied from the source listing and may change. Always confirm cost, dates and accommodation with the project director.