Basic Description
Tuition and Other Costs
Application and Registration Information
Housing Facilities
Contact Information
This year’s field school will take place at the Moran Site (22HR511), an early 18th century French Colonial cemetery and settlement on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The site is situated on the beach near downtown Biloxi and marks the location of when Biloxi served as the capital of the Louisiana Colony from 1720 to 1723 and was the entry point of massive immigration effort by the French to settle the region. Burials were first observed on the property in 1914, but the cemetery only became fully accessible for archaeological excavation when the area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Information from historical documents, as well as preliminary analysis of skeletal material thus far recovered, suggests the cemetery most likely dates to the 1720s. Click here for more information on the site.
The field school will provide instruction and experience in the principles of archaeological excavation, recording and mapping in the context of this ongoing research project. Students will not only be involved in both burial recovery and analysis, but they will also participate in the testing of adjacent properties for evidence of the settlement accompanying the cemetery. Additionally, they will take part in preliminary testing of a plantation house site (Elmwood Manor, ca 1814) that was destroyed by Katrina in nearby Bay St Louis to look for slave quarters
Following the close of the field school, a three-hour laboratory session on the USM Hattiesburg campus will follow. In this session, students will process and begin analysis of the material recovered at the site.
Tuition for undergraduates is $205/credit hour and for graduates is $273/credit
hour, both in- and out-of-state. Housing is included in the tuition costs. A
continental breakfast (eg, breakfast bars, juice, Poptarts) and sandwich lunch
will be provided at the site. Students will be responsible for their own dinners
most evenings and during weekends. Hot meals can be obtained for $5 at the cafeteria
at the housing facility; other options include any number of restaurants in
the immediate area. Unfortunately cooking facilities will not be available.
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Application and Registration Information
Undergraduates:
Those who are not curently students at USM must be admitted to the university.
Application for undergraduate admission costs $25. Click
here for on-line undergraduate application, checking the box for Visitor/Transient/Non-degree
Student. A set of official transcripts from the current university to prove
good standing will need to be submitted. The application deadline is May 1.
Upon admission, undergraduate students should register for ANT436 – Archaeological Field School for either 3 credit hours (three-week session) or 6 credit hours (six-week session). Those wishing to participate in the laboratory analysis class, held in Hattiesburg, should register for ANT439 – Special Topics in Archaeology for 3 credit hours. Tuition costs, for both in- and out-of-state students, are $615 for 3 hrs, $1230 for 6 hrs, and $1845 for 9 hrs.
Graduates:
Application for graduate admission costs $30. Click
here for on-line graduate application, checking the box for non-degree seeking
on the Program Info page. Click
here for Approval for Non-Degree Enrollment in Graduate Course form. Proof
of an undergraduate degree (either transcripts or copy of diploma) must also
be submitted. The application deadline is May 1.
Upon admission, graduate students should register for ANT536 – Archaeological
Field School for either 3 credit hours (three-week session) or 6 credit hours
(six-week session). Those wishing to participate in the laboratory analysis
class, held in Hattiesburg, should register for ANT539 – Special Topics
in Archaeology for 3 credit hours. Tuition costs, for both in- and out-of-state
students, are $819 for 3 hrs, $1638 for 6 hrs, and $2457 for 9 hrs.
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Dormitory housing will be provided at the Seashore Manor, located at 1450 Beach Blvd., approximately 1.25 miles from the site. Below are pictures of the facility:
During off-hours, students will find a multitude of activities available on
the Gulf Coast. Locally, the beach is the site of a number of activities, from
swimming to boat trips. The barrier islands provide camping and hiking opportunities
in a more wilderness setting. A variety of entertainment and dining options
are available at the local casinos. New Orleans is also but an hour’s
drive away. For more visitor information about Biloxi, click
here.
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If you have any questions or concerns about the field school, please contact:
Dr Amy Young or Dr
Marie Danforth
Department of Anthropology and Sociology
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Dr #5074
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
(601) 266-4306