2010 Philippines Archaeology Field School

Costs and Application Procedures
Tentative course fees are $4,400 ($4,650 for non-UW students) which include all tuition, food, housing and travel within the Philippines. Other costs not included in the course fee are travel to Manila (about $1300-1600 from the US), passport and visa fees, health insurance and personal cash. Financial aid may be available. UW students may apply for IPE fellowships, note that the deadline is November 5, 2009. A limited number of full fellowships (including travel costs) are available to students from Southeast Asian universities. Applicants must complete the application form and complete an interview. Applications accepted until course is filled, up to January 15, 2010. No previous archaeology experience required. Course deposit of $350 is due upon receipt of contract, program deposit is due by January 22, 2010 and balance is due by March 16, 2010.

Archaeology Field School
University of Washington ~ University of the Philippines
Palawan, Philippines ~ Spring 2010

Learn archaeological excavation, survey, mapping and artifact analysis on northern Palawan Island in the Philippines. Course is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any university, who will earn 12 University of Washington credits. Course is co-taught by Dr. Peter Lape, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Washington and Dr. Victor Paz, Director, Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines.

Itinerary

We will meet in Manila on March 29, 2010 for several days of pre-excavation orientation at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. We will then travel to Palawan by plane, and from the airport to our sites in the El Nido and Sibaltan Bay area by van. The next four weeks will be spent surveying and excavating a variety of sites dating to the past 2000 years at coastal and small offshore island locales, with some visits to other famous Palawan sites (such as the Ille Cave complex).

Fieldwork will involve daily hiking and/or travel by small boats. We will return to Manila via plane by about April 30 to catch your flight home by May 2. Students may have options for post-field work lab analysis in Manila or Seattle for additional credit.

What will it be like? Click here to read some student perspectives from our 2009 Field School in Indonesia.

Program Highlights
You will learn archaeological field skills by working in real field conditions as part of ongoing archaeological research, working with 15-20 students and staff from the USA, the Philippines and other SE Asian nations. Language of instruction will be English. Archaeological field work is physically demanding, especially in the tropical climate of Palawan. We will live in simple guest houses and/or tents with shared bathing facilities. Meals will feature delicious regional dishes prepared by local cooks. Free days can be spent exploring the local villages, mountains, coral reefs and beaches that draw thousands of tourists to beautiful Palawan Island each year.