SHCA Archaeological Science Internships 2019
Three archaeological science internships are available to undergraduate archaeology students for summer 2019. Deadline for applications Friday 24 May 2019.
Three archaeological science internships are available to undergraduate archaeology students for summer 2019. These are aimed at helping students to develop experience, knowledge, skills and employability, and providing the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a research project. Internships will be based in one of the SHCA labs and last two weeks (15-26 July). These volunteer positions will be supervised by the archaeology lab technician, with extra topic-specific supervision from academic staff where relevant.
Project 1: Zooarchaeology of Culzean Castle caves, Scotland
This internship will involve two weeks working on animal bones excavated by the National Trust for Scotland from the caves under Culzean Castle on the Ayrshire coast. Activity at the caves has been dated to both the Iron Age and historic period, and most of the animal bone likely date to the late-medieval and post-medieval use. This project will produce an assessment of the material – to assess the composition and research potential of the assemblage. Previous experience with zooarchaeology would be an advantage, but not a necessity.
Project 2: Laboratory pre-treatments on skeletal collagen/dentine yields for isotopic studies
The aim of the project is the investigation of the effects of sodium hydroxide 'washes' on collagen/dentine yields in bone and tooth samples from St Peter's Cemetery, Blackburn (all samples are currently held by UoE). Sodium hydroxide washes have been used to remove humic contaminants from collagen prior to stable isotope measurement/14C dating. However, the use of NaOH is known to reduce collagen yields. NaOH washes have therefore generally been omitted from dentine extraction protocols, in part, because of the minute samples used. The effects of NaOH washes on dentine yields have not been established. This study will provide a comparative analysis of collagen vs dentine yields using (i) no NaOH wash, (ii) 0.2 N NaOH for 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 2 hrs, 4 hrs, 8 hrs, 16 hrs, and (iii) 1 M NaOH for 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 2 hrs, 4 hrs, 8 hrs, 16 hrs.
Project 3: Zooarchaeology of Nadalibigh Tepe, Iran
This project will focus on the animal bones recovered from Nadalibigh Tepe, Iran. The assemblage comes from a vertical sequence through the Chalcolithic tell site and is dominated by domestic livestock. The internship will involve undertaking an assessment of the material – to assess the composition and research potential of the assemblage. Previous experience with zooarchaeology would be an advantage, but not a necessity.
How to apply
Internships will be awarded through a competitive process managed by the SHCA laboratories committee. If you are interested in applying for an internship please submit a maximum two-page CV and a (short) letter of motivation to robin.bendrey@ed.ac.uk by Friday 24 May 2019. Please get in contact if you have any questions!
Websites with useful insights on producing a CV: