Archaeological Technicians Opportunity

ARCHAEOLOGICAL TECHNICIANS

The Cultural Resources Section of the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) seeks to hire two (2) archaeological technicians to work on the Belvoir/Scott’s Plantation project in Anne Arundel County. This work is being performed under a cooperative agreement with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland. The applicant must be able to work both in lab and field environments. The position requires: an undergraduate degree and a field school. 

Duties: field excavation and artifact processing.

Location: Field work will be in Crownsville, Maryland and laboratory work will be carried out in the Baltimore office. Parking is reimbursable.

Duration: The position is 40 hours a week and begins in May and lasts through at least August 28. The position can be extended on either a part or full time basis.

Hourly Wage: $15/hr

Interested applicants should send their vitae and 3 references to Julie Schablitsky at jschablitsky@sha.state.md.us The position will close April 10, 2015.

Project Background: Belvoir is a colonial plantation that dates to the 1730s. It was the home of Francis Scott Key’s grandmother as well as other affluent Marylanders. During a transportation landscape study along General’s Highway in Anne Arundel County, archaeologists discovered a large stone slave quarters that dates to the 1780s. The slave barracks contains intact brick flooring and undisturbed subfloor pits. The project, led by Maryland State Highway archaeologists, is a public outreach project that includes descendents and other leaders in the African American community.

Left to Right: Tinglazed sherd, Belvoir manor house, and clay tobacco pipe with horse.

This summer, archaeologists will return for a second season of fieldwork that will include: excavation within the slave quarter, mapping with drones and LiDAR, tours to the public and school-aged children, and research to identify and locate living descendents from the last community of enslaved African Americans to reside at Belvoir.