Western Michigan University and the Fort St. Joseph Museum would like to invite members of the public to join them for a week of excavations at the site of Fort St. Joseph during the 2010 Field School in Historical Archaeology. This is an excellent opportunity to experience history hands on and to learn what it means to be an archaeologist.

During each camp participants will be given the opportunity to research the history of Fort Saint Joseph, a unique former missionary and trading post that has at various points in time been under the control of France, Great Britain, Spain and the United States. In addition to participating directly in the archaeological excavations, campers will be exposed to the many aspects of what it means to be an archaeologist, from working in the lab to drawing conclusions about the people that once inhabited a site.

The camp for adults ages 16 and over will be held July 26-30. The fee for this camp is also $125.

The camp for students grades 6 through 9 will be held Aug. 2-6. The fee for this camp is $125.

The camp for teachers and other professionals wishing to earn State Board-Continuing Education Units (SB-CEUs) or academic credit from WMU will be held Aug. 9-13. The fee for the SB-CEU camp is $140 and the credits are accepted in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The fee for the three graduate credits from Western Michigan University camp is $1,389.82.

Enrollment in each camp is limited to 10. Review of applications will begin June 1 and applicants will be notified of their status by June 8 or until the camps are filled.  Applications are available at the Fort St. Joseph Museum Web site, www.fortstjosephmuseum.org.

For further information, contact Carol Bainbridge, museum director, Fort St. Joseph Museum at 683-4702 or cbainbridge@nilesmi.org.