Mar 15
10
Summer 2015 Program
The Osa Field Institute invites students to apply to participate in a bioarchaeological field experience in Central and South America. Students will travel first to the city of San Jose in Costa Rica where they will have the opportunity to examine skeletons at the National Museum of Costa Rica. Skeletal samples from two collections, one dating to 2500 BP and the other to between AD 200 and 1200, will be available for examination.
Students will then travel to Lima, Peru where they will examine skeletons from a site dating to the Late Horizon (AD 1450 – 1533).
The itinerary is presented below:
Students are responsible for making their own international travel arrangements, which must conform to the schedule presented.
August 2, 2015: STUDENTS ARRIVE SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA.
August 9, 2015: STUDENTS DEPART FOR LIMA, PERU.
August 23, 2015: FIELD SCHOOL ENDS/STUDENTS RETURN HOME OR CONTINUE WITH PERSONAL TRAVEL.
DAILY ITINERARY:
8/3/15 Orientation and site information lecture, tour of Museum in San Jose (5 hours)
8/4/15 Basic osteology lecture – bone identification, siding, skeletal analysis protocol and osteology analysis at the National Museum of Costa Rica (3 hours lecture, 5 hours of laboratory analysis)
8/5/15 Demographic information lecture and osteology analysis at the National Museum (3 hours lecture, 5 hours osteology analysis)
8/6/15 Bioarchaeology of Costa Rican prehistory lecture and osteology analysis (3 hours lecture, 5 hours of analysis)
8/7/15 Osteology analysis at the National Museum (8 hours)
8/8/15 Peruvian prehistory lecture (3 hours)
8/9/15 Arrive Lima – Site tour and lecture (3 hours)
8/10/15 to 8/22/15 Fieldwork at archaeological site plus laboratory work 12 eight hour field days
8/23/15 Students depart for home
A summary of student work hours/contact hours is presented below for consideration by the student’s home institution regarding granting credit for this field experience:
1. Lectures 17 hours
2. Site/museum tours with lecture 3 hours
3. Twelve laboratory days @ 8 hrs./day (= 96 hrs) + 4 days with 23 total hours of laboratory time = 119 hours of laboratory time total, normalized to lecture hours by dividing by 2 = 59.5 hours
3-WEEK SESSION TOTAL 79.5 contact hours
Suggested credit: 5 hours
Students are welcome to participate without getting credit.
Optional excursions (e.g. additional archaeological site tours, rainforest excursions, etc.) are available at an additional cost. These will be organized as time permits.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
The field experience will be led and taught by Dr. Catherine Gaither. Dr. Gaither has worked in bioarchaeology since 1996. She has analyzed skeletons from numerous sites in Peru located on the north coast, in the northern highlands, and on the central coast. She has worked at several archaeological sites including Huaca de la Luna, Complejo Arqueologico El Brujo, Santa Rita B, Proyecto Arqueologico Jucusbamba (numerous sites), Puruchuco Huaquerones, and the Basilica Cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace in Lima. She has also worked in Costa Rica on remains recovered from the Isla San Lucas prison cemetery. Additionally, she has taught a forensic archaeology field school in Bogota, Colombia, and worked in the US on human remains recovered from various archaeological and forensic contexts in and around Colorado. She has worked as an Associate Professor at a US university and was chair of her department. She currently holds the position of Vice President of Academics and Research at the Osa Field Institute where she is continuing to offer high quality educational experiences to students of various disciplines.
COSTS:
The breakdown of the costs to the student and what is included is presented below:
Osa Field Institute Program fees (includes the following): $3000.00
Room/board (3 meals per day)
Osteological analysis supplies
In country transportation – both Costa Rica and Peru (to/from airport, to/from laboratory, site visits etc.)
Additional costs to student:
Estimated International airfare – Continental US to San Jose, San Jose to Lima, Lima to Continental US (Denver, Colorado USA was used as the departure city/country for this estimate – actual costs may vary depending on departure city/country)
$1300.00
Emergency medical/evacuation insurance (written proof required)
Varies by policy – estimate of $150.00
Tuition
Varies by institution
Suggested personal expenses (students to bring as extra)
$400.00 – $500.00
TOTAL estimated minimum expenses $4850.00
Space is limited so interested students should apply soon! Please feel free to send any questions to Dr. Gaither at the following email address: cathy@osafieldinstitute.org.
Pura Vida!
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Digital Application:
Follow the link below to download the August Application
August 2015 Program Application
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Required Forms:
Follow the link below to download the necessary documents
August 2015 Forms
Julie A Reyes, Ph.D. – Executive Director at OFI
http://www.osafieldinstitute.org/
