Have your own archaeology adventure!
Volunteer, learn new skills, and indulge your curiosity about the past. Excavation, artifact study, historical research, computer work, oral history, editing, teaching and other opportunities are seasonally available.If you are younger than our volunteer age limit of 16 years, you can experience" Archaeology in Alexandria in many other ways.
If you would like to volunteer, read the information below and then fill out the Office of Historic Alexandria Volunteer Application. Be sure to indicate your preferred activities and any special skills you may have. You will be contacted about current opportunities and orientation schedules.
Current Needs:
- Volunteer Program Coordinator
Recruit, maintain and track volunteer activities- Alexandria Archaeology Publications
People with good organizational skills are needed to help coordinate the Alexandria Archaeology Publications program. This involves guiding manuscripts through the editorial and production process, and/or fulfilling book orders.- Oral History Project
Alexandria Archaeology is cooperating with The Lyceum and the Alexandria Black History Museum to collect personal oral histories of our long time residents. Please indicate any skills you may have with video, writing, interviewing, indexing or transcribing on the Volunteer Application.- Alexandria Freedmen Project
Alexandria Archaeology and the Alexandria Black History Museum are discovering the untold history of slaves who fled to Alexandria during the Civil War. Researchers are needed to track down and transcribe historic documents and locate living relatives of escaped slaves and black soldiers.Job Categories:
The following are some basic volunteer job categories which are seasonally available. Experience is not necessary, unless indicated.
Excavation: Help to dig on an archaeological site. Volunteers dig with trowels and a variety of larger and smaller tools, screen soil to recover artifacts, keep detailed records, draw maps, and take photographs. Excavation is great fun, but it requires attention to detail and hard physical work. Volunteers may work in very hot or cold weather, or even in light rain. Excavation may take place periodically throughout the year, but most of the digging takes place on Saturdays between May and September. Read News from the Shuter's Hill Site for an overview of the current dig.
Excavation is the most popular volunteer activity, and may not always be available for new volunteers. A field orientation is held on site for new volunteers once a year. Check the Calendar for this year's dates. A waiting list is kept of people who would like to dig, and volunteers working in other areas of the program may be given priority. Experienced volunteers are sometimes needed with surveying, photography, map making and other special skills.
Archival Research: Find out about the people who lived on our archaeological sites. Trace the history of the properties and the development of the City. Researchers are needed to conduct deed research, study tax records and other primary sources, and to index data. Volunteers are encouraged to publish their findings, where appropriate, in the Alexandria Archaeology Publications Series or the Volunteer News.
Archival volunteers are recruited and trained individually by staff members, as needed.
Artifact Processing/Analysis: Learn to identify the fascinating artifacts found on archaeological sites. Volunteers wash, mark, and catalogue artifacts, enter catalogue records in the computer database, and research specific artifacts from our collection. Volunteers with skill and previous experience in scale drawing and artifact photography are sometimes needed.
Lab volunteers currently work on Fridays. New lab volunteers are recruited as needed during the field season when new artifacts are being excavated, and some experienced volunteers continue to work year round.
Outreach/Education: Help with our hands-on Educational and Public Programs. Volunteers help small groups of children or adults with a hands-on activity during the Adventure Lessons, at the screens on Family Dig Days, and at information booths at fairs and festivals. Volunteers who are comfortable with public speaking or teaching are needed to introduce the Adventure Lessons to groups of 20 participants.
Training is provided individually or in groups. If you would like to observe an Adventure Lesson to see if you would like to help, call the Education Coordinator at 703-838-4399.
Administrative and Clerical Work: Volunteers with good clerical skills are needed to answer phones, type manuscripts and memos, maintain databases, fill orders from our Publications catalogue, prepare mailings, and assist with other aspects of office work. Volunteers with good administrative skills are needed to assist in coordinate the publications program.
Training is provided on an individual basis.
Friends of Alexandria Archaeology: (FOAA) Join the Friends to support archaeology, receive a quarterly newsletter, and attend programs. The Friends need volunteers to help with maintaining membership records, recruitment, fund raising, and activities.
If you would like to volunteer to help FOAA, write a note on your FOAA membership application, type a note on the Historic Alexandria Volunteer Application, or call Alexandria Archaeology at 703-838-4399 for more information.
Other Volunteer Jobs: What special skills do you have? Do you have experience with newsletter writing? Graphics and Layout? Exhibit design? We may have just the job for you. Be sure to indicate your special skills and interests on the Historic Alexandria Volunteer Application form.
Volunteers must:
- be at least 16 years of age
- work at least six hours per month for a least three months
- sign the Code of Ethics for Alexandria Archaeology
Code of Ethics for Alexandria Archaeology
As an Alexandria Archaeology Volunteer, I agree to:
- Support conservation and preservation of archaeological resources.
- Refrain from engaging in any illegal or unethical conduct including buying, selling, exchange or unscientific collection of artifacts.
- Refrain from participating in any excavation which is not authorized and supervised by professionally qualified archaeologists and institutions.
- Comply fully with instructions given by Alexandria Archaeology personnel in regard to volunteer activities and keep my supervisor fully informed of any changes in my schedule.
- Contribute to public education by accurately representing the work of Alexandria Archaeology.
Alexandria Archaeology reserves the right to dismiss any volunteer who does not follow the above Code of Ethics.
Activities for Volunteers and Friends of Alexandria Archaeology
- Receive the Alexandria Archaeology Volunteer News.
- Come to the annual Volunteer Recognition Party.
- Attend special events.
- Come to lectures, field trips and site tours.
- March in our trowel and bucket drill team in the George Washington Birthday Parade.
- Come to monthly meetings of the Alexandria Archaeological Commission.
- Join the FOAA List Serve
If you are younger than 16, or are not available for an extended period of time, you may be interested in attending Educational and Public Programs, such as Summer Camp, Family Dig Days, and Site Tours, or you may want to participate through the Friends of Alexandria Archaeology.
Please note that some positions may not be available. For instance, digging is seasonal, and orientations for new field and lab volunteers are usually held once a year, in June. Other positions may already be filled. If we can not meet your needs right away for a rewarding volunteer experience, you may want to consider volunteering at another Alexandria museum. And be sure to join the Friends of Alexandria Archaeology to receive our monthly newsletter, or check our Calendar of Events for festivals, lectures, "Java Jolts" and other fun and interesting ways to participate while you await the next orientation.
