Historical Archaeology Internships

Mount Vernon’s Department of Archaeology offers an ongoing internship program designed to give undergraduate, graduate students and recent graduates experience in the field of historical archaeology. In the past, students have focused on different themes of colonial historical archaeology including African-American archaeology, industrial archaeology, landscape studies, museum education and outreach, website development / public relations, and material culture studies. 

What do interns do?

Please read our Facebook page "Mount Vernon's Mystery Midden" and a recent blog by intern Eva Falls to get an idea of the intern experience.  We are currently accepting applications for 2013 to participate in:

• Collections Management / Old Collections

  Participate in an ongoing project to upgrade and document the collections from over 20 years of archaeology at Mount Vernon.  Interns are needed to assist with rehousing, digitizing, cataloguing and assessing both the artifacts and their associated paper and photographic records.  Applicants should have experience in an archaeological laboratory or classes in museum studies, archaeological laboratory methods and / or artifact identification.

• Field Excavation 

  Excavations in Mount Vernon's Laundry Yard will continue into the fall 2012 and interns are an integral component of our excavations.  Interns should have completed a field school in archaeology and wish to gain experience in public archaeology in a museum setting.  Interns will work with volunteers doing field and lab work and also interpret the excavation to the public.

• General Archaeology

  We are always seeking graduate and undergraduates interested in gaining experience in archaeology.  These interns do a variety of field, laboratory and office tasks.  This variety is a wonderful opportunity to explore historical archaeology in a museum setting.

Applying for an Internship:

Internships are available year round, although the nature of the project may differ depending on the season. Generally, the internships offered at Mount Vernon are not funded. Additionally, housing is not included in the internship program. Mount Vernon does not offer academic credit, but can work with the student to arrange credit through their university. To apply for an internship, please send your resume, a cover letter detailing your interest, and names / contacts of 2 references to Eleanor Breen. Please note if you wish to receive credit through your institution.