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ARCTICVIKINGSFIELDSCHOOL:SITENKAH-5500,VATNAHVERFIREGION,SOUTHGREENLAND

CourseID:ARCH365YJune30–July31,2018

FIELDSCHOOLDIRECTORS:Dr. Hans H. Harmsen, Archaeologist/Curator, Greenland National Museum and Archives, ResearchAssistantProfessor,SUNYatBuffalo(harmsen@natmus.gl)Dr.ChristianKochMadsen,Archaeologist/Curator,GreenlandNationalMuseumandArchives,PostDoc,NationalMuseumofDenmark(christian@natmus.gl)Michael Nielsen, Archaeologist/Collections Manager, Greenland National Museum and Archives(michael@natmus.gl)

HorsesandsheepgrazinginahighlandmeadownearTasiusaq.Inthebackgroundtheice-filledTasiusaqFjord.©NielsChristianClemmensen/ChristianK.Madsen.

INTRODUCTION

GreenlandisundergoinganrapidenvironmentalchangeasglobalwarmingcontinuestodisproportionatelyimpactinthecircumpolarNorth.Forarchaeologists,thismeanstherapidandcompletelossoforganicartifactsandecofacts.This“meltingmidden”phenomenoniscausedbyrisingsoiltemperaturesandposesanimmediatethreattoinlandsitesinGreenland.TheportionofSWGreenlandthatholdstheNorseEasternSettlement(>500sites)andasubstantialnumberofprehistoricandcolonialeraearlymodernsitesisnowoverthecriticalthreshold,andhundredsofthesesitesarenowrapidlydegrading.Wefaceanurgentthreatbecausetheseuniquescientificandculturalresourcesmaysoonbegoneforever.

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ThemainsitewewillbeinvestigatingisNKAH-5500,anewlydiscoveredNorsefarmintheVatnahverfiregion of the UNESCO property. Heavy foehn-winderosionintheareahaspartiallyexposedseveralbuildingsand a possible midden deposit evidenced by a largeclusteringofbones andartifacts found scatteredon thesurface of the site. The area is extremely vulnerable towind erosion and organic preservation is believed to becompromised.Thissitewasinitiallyassessedandsurfacemapped (GPS) between 2015 and 2016, but moreextensive and detailed coring and subsurface testing isnecessarytolocatethecoremiddenareaandconfirmthestateofpreservation.

This field school is a four-week experiential learningprogram for students to gain a fundamentalunderstanding of basic methods of archaeological fieldresearch in the Arctic. This includes standardizedtechniques of site identification, landscape survey, fieldrecording, testing, and excavation. Students will alsolearn to identify common artifact types and sampleprocessing procedures. Supplementary evening lecturesand daily discussions will expand these skills andintroduce additional topics, including archaeologicalresearch design, community archaeology, global changeeffects on cultural heritage, legal and ethical aspects of archaeological excavation and variousspecializations in the field. Students will spend the majority of the field school at NKAH 5500, butstudentswillalsohavetheopportunitytoparticipateinarchaeologicalsurveysofthesurroundingfjord.Participation in field transport and logistics aswell as general camp tasksduring the field seasonwillprovidestudentsabasicgroundinginthefundamentalsrequiredforsuccessfulArcticarchaeology.Studentswillnotonlylearnaboutarchaeologicalfieldmethodsbutwillhaveexperiencewithcommunityarchaeologyandwillhaveinsightintoemergingissuesofglobalchangeeffectsonculturalresources.Duetotheurgencyofthesituation,emphasiswillbeplacedonrapidandefficienttechniquesinthefield.ThisfieldschoolisRPAcertified(RegisterofProfessionalArchaeologists)andwillbenefitstudentswhoplantopursueculturalresourcemanagementworkinthefuture.

COURSEOBJECTIVES

Aftercompletingthiscourse,studentswillbeableto:• Identifyandrecordanarchaeologicalsite.• Demonstratecompetenceinbasicproceduresofexcavationanddocumentationincluding:

Ø LayoutanexcavationunitØ Usestandardtoolsandtechniquestoexcavatetheunittoprofessionalstandards.Ø FilloutpaperdocumentationØ Completeplanmapsandprofiles(usingbothtraditionalandelectronicmethodsof

proveniencecontrol)Ø Photographtheexcavationunit

• Indicateabasicunderstandingofarchaeologicalmethodandtheory• Demonstratecompetenceinbasicfieldlaboratoryprocessingtechniques

LocationofsiteNKAH-5500.

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• DemonstrateanunderstandingofbasicproblemsinArcticarchaeology,includingchronology,stratigraphy,taphonomy,siteformationprocesses,andfactorsthataffectsites,includingtheeffectsofmodernhumanandglobalclimatechallenges

• Understandarchaeologicalresearchdesignsandhowtheyimpactfieldinvestigations• Demonstrateanunderstandingofhowtoevaluatearchaeologicalfinds• Demonstrateanunderstandingofarchaeologicalethics• Demonstrateanunderstandingofcommunityengagementandmeaningfulcollaborationasit

relatestoarchaeologicalpractice

ACADEMICCREDITUNITS&TRANSCRIPTS

CreditUnits:Attendingstudentswillbeawarded8semestercreditunits(equivalentto12quartercreditunits)throughouracademicpartner,ConnecticutCollege.ConnecticutCollegeisaprivate,highlyrankedliberalartsinstitutionwithadeepcommitmenttoundergraduateeducation.Studentswillreceivealettergradeforattendingthisfieldschool(seegradingassessmentandmatrix).Thisfieldschoolprovidesaminimumof160directinstructionalhours.Studentsareencouragedtodiscussthetransferabilityofcreditunitswithfacultyandregistrarsattheirhomeinstitutionspriortoattendingthisfieldschool.

Transcripts:Anofficialcopyoftranscriptswillbemailedtothepermanentaddresslistedbystudentsontheironlineapplication.Oneadditionaltranscriptmaybesenttothestudent'shomeinstitutionatnoadditionalcost.AdditionaltranscriptsmaybeorderedatanytimethroughtheNationalStudentClearinghouse:http://bit.ly/2hvurkl.

PREREQUISITES

Therearenoprerequisites forparticipation in this field school. This ishands-on, experiential learningandstudentswill studyon-sitehowtoconductarchaeological research.Archaeology involvesphysicalworkandexposuretotheelementsandthus,requiresameasureofacceptancethatthiswillnotbethetypical university learning environment. You will get sweaty, cold, tired and have to work and liveoutdoors. Students are required to come equipped with sufficient excitement and adequateunderstandingthatarchaeologicalfieldworkrequireshardwork.

DISCLAIMER–PLEASEREADCAREFULLY

Archaeologicalfieldworkinvolvesphysicalworkintheoutdoors.Youshouldbeawarethatconditionsinthe fieldaredifferent than thoseyouexperience inyourhome,dormsor college town.ThisprogramoperatesatatypicalinlandfjordvalleyinSouthernGreenland.Duringtheday,temperaturesundertheshadowfluctuatebetween30°-70°Fdependingontheweather.Heavyrains,windsandsometimesevensnowcanoccurduringthesummermonthsinGreenland.Becauseofitsnorthernlatitudeyouwillalsobeexposed tohighUV indexsoappropriatemeasuresshouldbe taken for thosewith fair skinorsunsensitivities.Mosquitoesandblackfliescanalsobeproblematicdependingonthetemperature.

Ifyouhaveanymedicalconcerns,pleaseconsultwithyourdoctor.Forallotherconcerns,pleaseconsultwiththeprojectdirectors–asappropriate.

TEAMSANDCOURSEMODULES

StudentsparticipatingintheArcticVikingFieldSchoolwillbeengagedinavarietyofdifferentlearningexperiences that range from direct hands-on training in the field and laboratory to specially themedlecturesduringthecourseoftheprogram.Thegeneralcurriculumisdividedbetweendigitallandscape

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survey, keyhole investigations and laboratory/post-excavation artifact processing. These generalactivities are supplemented by lectures, special workshops, community days and excursionsinterspersedthroughoutthecourseofthefieldschool.Sincearchaeologicalfieldworkoftenrequiresaneffective distribution of labor, studentswill be asked to participate in different activities at differenttimes. At the end of the field school students will be competent in the fundamental principles ofarchaeologicalsurvey,testexcavationandpost-fieldworkartifactprocessing.

GRADINGMATRIX

Thiscourseusesalettergradingsystem(A,B,C,D,andF).A=90-100%,B=80-90%,C=70-80%,D=60-70%,F=0-60%. Your understanding of archaeological field methods and your ability to transform this topracticewillbeevaluatedusingthiscombinationofthesefactors:

• 40%:Requireddocumentationandjournallog.Yourgradefordocumentationassignmentswillbedeterminedbasedonthecompleteness,accuracy,andlegibilityofthesubmittedformsandfield books, as well as the proper execution of documentation photographs (use of scales,properly logged, cleaned for photography).Maintaining proper documentation is extremelyimportant!Thisisbecausearcheologicalexcavationisdestructiveandanythingnotproperlyandaccuratelydocumentedis lostforever. Inaddition,allstudentswillberequiredtokeepadailyjournalonlooseleafpaperornotebookthatwillrecorddetailsabouttheday’sevents,whatwascompleted, concepts learned, new definitions and terms, information about the deposits orfeatures that they are excavating, on-going thoughts about interpretations, etc. Students areencouragedtoincludedrawings,sketchesorsitemapsaspartoftheirjournal.Progresswillbechecked periodically during the course and a copy of the journal must be provided to thedirectorofthefieldschoolbeforeyouleavetosatisfythewrittenrequirementofthecourse.

• 25%:Discussion&campparticipation/attitude. It is important forstudents to takepart inallaspectsofthisexcavationtoachievethedesiredlearningoutcomes.Thisincludesnotonlythework performedwhile in the field but helping tomake sure the operations of the camp areorderly. Assigned readings should be finished before planned discussions and lectures.Completingreadingearlywillbebeneficial, sincetherewillbeprofessionalarchaeologistsandadvanced students participating in the excavations and topics may well come up before theassigned date. Crew members with positive attitudes are very important for a productiveexcavation in thechallenging fieldconditionsof theArctic!Weall share theresponsibility tokeep the experience positive for other students, instructors, local community members andvisitingscholars.

• 25%: Performance in field and laboratory activities. Your grade for field and laboratoryperformanceisbasedontheabilitytodemonstrateappliedknowledgeofthebasicsofvariousfield techniques. In some cases, individualsmay have particular aptitude for a particular taskandmayspendextratimeonthattask,learningtoperformitparticularlywell.However,sincethisisafieldschool,andmanysmallerprojectswillneedcrewmemberstobeabletoperformalltasks,youwillbeexpectedtodemonstrateabasiccompetenceinallareasthatarecoveredinthiscourse.

• 10%: Oral examination. Each student will be expected to perform in a 15-20 minute oralexamination prior to leaving Greenland. The exam will draw on the readings, lectures andpersonalexperienceswhile in the field inaddition tohowthisknowledgemightbeapplied toyourfuturecareerpathandinterests.

TRAVELANDMEETINGPOINT

AllstudentsareresponsibleforarrangingtheirowntransportationtoNarsarsuaq,GreenlandandarriveonSaturday,June30.UponarrivalinNarsarsuaq,studentswillbemetbymembersoftheprojectteam

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outsidethebaggageterminal.Studentsshouldensurethat theyhavesent their timeofarrival toDrs.HarmsenandMadseninadvance.

ThisprogramconcludesonMonday, July30whenwearrivebackatNarsarsuaq.Studentsmaydepartfortheirreturnhome,oronwardtravel,anytimeonTuesday,July31.

TravelfromNorthAmerica(USA&Canada)

ConnectingflightandpassthroughpassportcontrolinKeflavikInternationalAirport(KEF)

Bus/taxifromKEFtoReykjavíkAirport(RKV)nearcitycenter.TakeAirIcelandflighttoNarsarsuaq(UAK)

TravelfromEU ConnectingflightthroughCopenhagenAirport(CPH)

TraveltoKangerlussuaq(SFJ)andtakeconnectingflighttoNarsarsuaq(UAK)

If youmiss your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text, or e-mail the project directorsimmediately.Alocalemergencycellphonenumberwillbeprovidedtoallenrolledstudents.

VISAREQUIREMENTS

AvalidpassportandevidenceofreturnoronwardtravelarerequiredtoenteranddepartGreenland.AlltravelersenteringGreenlandshouldhaveapassportthatisvalidforat least90daysaftertheydeparttheircountryofresidence.Theidealamountofvaliditytimethatshouldbeleftonyourpassportwhenyoudepartacountryshouldberoughly6months.StudentstravellingthroughIcelandwillpassthroughIcelandic immigration prior to arrival in Greenland and may be asked to provide proof of theirparticipation in the field school. We will provide this letter of participation to all students prior todeparture.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Onsite—wherethemajorityof the fieldschoolwill takeplace—wewillbecamping.Youshouldbringyourowntent,sleepingbag,airmattressetc.ofgoodqualitythataresuitableforhighwindsandnighttemperaturesthatmaydroptobelowfreezing.Youwillreceiveaninformationbeforeweleavedetailingtheequipmentforwhichyouwillberesponsible.Waterwillbecollectedfromlocalspringsforcookinganddrinking.Thisisaruggedandisolatedenvironmentwithabsolutelynosupermarketsorstoresintheimmediatearea. Toilet facilities arebasicbut functional.Our toilets are frequently renewed,open-air(with privacy screens). Arrangements will be made with a nearby farmer to access shower facilitiesduringtheweekends.

MEALS

Allfoodduringthecourseofthefieldschoolisinclusive.Allmealswillbecommunaleventsandprovidenutritiousbutbasic foodwithwhat canbeobtained in thenearby towns.We take turnscookinganddoing the washing up, allowing budding chefs an opportunity to wow us all. It is not possible toaccommodatespecialdietaryneeds in this remote location.This isdue to the lackof ingredients thatcanbepurchasedintheimmediatearea.

STUDENTSWITHDISABILITIESANDSPECIALNEEDS

TheGreenlandNationalMuseumandArchivesandIFRiscommittedtoequalopportunityforstudentsexperiencing disabilities. However, due to the physical nature of archaeological fieldwork and theremotelocationofthefieldcamp,studentswithdisabilitiesandspecialneedsareencouragedtocontactthe instructorpriortoenrollment inthecoursetodeterminewhethersafeandsuitablearrangementsmaybemadetoensureapositiveeducationalexperience.

WHATTOBRING

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Excavationequipmentandmajorcampequipment(messandlabtents,kitchengear,etc.) isprovided.Youwillneedbasicpersonalcampingandfieldgear(acold-weathertentandsleepingbag,sleepingpad,raingear,warmandwaterproofclothes)althoughwemaybeabletohelpifyoudonothaveatent.Adetailedlistofwhattobringwillbeprovidedbythedirector(s).

COURSESCHEDULE

CourseScheduleWeek Date ActivityWeek1 30June-2July 30June:ArrivalinNarsarsuaqandwelcomedinner.Overnight

stayatNarsarsuaqHotel.1July:Grouporientationandsafetyreview.Afterlunch,quickvisit across the bay to Eric the Red’s Farm (Brattahlið) atnearbyQassiarsuk.OvernightatNarsarsuaqHotel.Morningof2July.TransporttoNKAH-5500Afternoonarrival. Camp setup.Afterdinner, evening lecture(#1):IntroductiontoArcticArchaeology

Week1 3July–6July Site mapping with dGPS and drone, prepare the site forexcavationandbeginpreliminaryexcavations.4Julyeveninglecture(#2):Whydowedig?

Week1 7July Morninghours,regularworkscheduleAfternoon & evening – personal time, catch up on readings,paperwork,washclothesetc.EveningactivityTBD

Week2 8July–13July KeyholeexcavationsatNKAH-55008 July evening lecture (#3): A short cultural history ofGreenland10Julyeveninglecture(#4):Arctichorizons12Julyeveninglecture(#5):WhateverytravelertoGreenlandshouldknow

Week2 14July Group trip to Qaqortoq; sightseeing and stock up on freshfood.

Week3 15July Morninghours,regularworkscheduleMidcourseevaluationsonprogressofthefieldschoolAfternoon & evening – personal time, catch up on readings,paperwork,washclothesetc.

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EveningactivityTBD

Week3Week3

16July–20July16July–20July

Surveyofsurroundingfjord,smallteams16 July evening lecture (#6): Zooarch 101 (guest lecturerKonradSmiarowski)18 July evening lecture (#7): Greenland and UNESCO WorldHeritage20Julyeveninglecture(#8)Meltingmiddens?

Week3 21July GroupexcursiontoSissarluttoqandIgaliku(Garðar)

Week4 22July Morninghours,regularworkscheduleAfternoon & evening – personal time, catch up on readings,paperwork,washclothesetc.EveningactivityTBD

Week4 23July–27July Windingdownfieldwork, flexibleworkinggroups, individualsmaybegivenvarioustasksasneededduringtheclosingofthetesttrenchesatNKAH-5500.Artifactsorting,cleaning,storage.24Julyeveninglecture(#9):Norse“collapse”26Julyeveninglecture(#10):Whatisworthsaving?28Julyeveninglecture(#11):CRMinthe21stcentury

Week4 28July Morninghours,regularworkscheduleAfternoon & evening – personal time, catch up on readings,paperwork,washclothesetc.EveningactivityTBD

Week5 29July 9–12timeprovidedforindividualoralexams.Afterlunch,finalpackingandsiteclean-up29Julyeveninglecture(#12)followedbyfarewellparty

Week5 30July DepartforNarsarsuaqairport.WesuggeststudentsplanforalateeveningflightonMondayortodepartanytimeduringtheday on Tuesday, 31 July. Students remaining in Narsarsuaqovernight will have accommodations provided at theNarsarsuaqHotel.

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REQUIREDREADINGS

Arneborg,Jette,NielsLynnerup,andJanHeinemeier(2012) HumandietandsubsistencepatternsinNorseGreenlandADC.980—ADc.1450:archaeologicalinterpretations.JournaloftheNorthAtlantic3:119-133.

Berglund,Joel(1986)

ThedeclineoftheNorsesettlementsinGreenland.ArcticAnthropology23(1/2):109-135.Bishop,RosieR.,etal.(2013)

Acharcoal-richhorizonatØ69,Greenland:evidenceforvegetationburningduringtheNorselandnám?JournalofArchaeologicalScience40(11):3890-3902.

Diamond,Jared(2005)

Collapse:Howsocietieschoosetofailorsucceed:Penguin.Chps.6,7&8(pp.178-276)Dugmore,A.J.,etal.(2012)

Culturaladaptation,compoundingvulnerabilitiesandconjuncturesinNorseGreenland.PNAS109(10):3658-3663.

Dugmore,AndrewJ.,ChristianKeller,andThomasH.McGovern(2007)

NorseGreenlandsettlement:reflectionsonclimatechange,trade,andthecontrastingfatesofhumansettlementsintheNorthAtlanticislands.Arcticanthropology44(1):12-36.

Frei,KarinM.,etal.(2015)

Wasitforwalrus?VikingAgesettlementandmedievalwalrusivorytradeinIcelandandGreenland.WorldArchaeology47(3):439-466.

Grantetal.(2008)

Chp.10,Managingthepast.TheArchaeologyCoursebook:Anintroductiontothemes,sites,methods&skills.Routledge,pp.341-376.

McGovern,ThomasH.,etal.(2017)

ZooarchaeologyoftheScandinaviansettlementsinIcelandandGreenland:divergingpathways.InTheOxfordHandbookofZooarchaeology.U.Albarella,H.Russ,K.Vickers,andS.Viner-Daniels,eds.Pp.147-163.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.

Nuttall,Mark(2010)

Anticipation,climatechange,andmovementinGreenland.Études/Inuit/Studies34(1):21-37.Stendel,Martin,JensHesselbjergChristensen,andDorthePetersen(2008)

ArcticclimateandclimatechangewithafocusonGreenland.AdvancesinEcologicalResearch40:13-43.

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RECOMMENDEDREADINGSCross,Susan,CharlesHett,andMargaretBertulli(1991)

Conservationmanualfornorthernarchaeologists=ManueldeconservationdestinéauxarchéologuesduNord:PrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentre=CentredupatrimoineseptentrionalPrincedeGalles.40pp.

Vésteinsson,Orri(2016)

Kujataa–asubarcticfarminglandscapeinGreenland.NominationtoUNESCO’sWorldHeritageList.264pp.