Volunteers
The Office of Archaeological Studies is a not-for-profit enterprise within state government, and more than 90 percent of the annual budget comes as reimbursements from client-supported projects. Any work other than that required by clients must be funded through grants, donations, or special appropriations. In order to accomplish the most with the least and to make the most of research opportunities, OAS depends on volunteer and financial support from the community. That support can take some surprising forms—yet another exciting dimension of archaeology.
Many of our projects make use of a dedicated corps of volunteers. Occasionally, project directors need extra help in the field during archaeological excavations. The pressures of deadlines and hazardous working conditions can prevent volunteers from working on some field projects, but in other cases opportunities abound and can provide rewarding experiences for everyone involved. Volunteers also process and analyze artifacts recovered from those excavations, working side-by-side with OAS staff in both general and specialized roles. General roles include artifact cleaning and processing and preparing artifacts and samples for analysis and long-term storage. Specialized roles include archaeomagnetic field sampling, statistical advising, and artifact analysis and photography. To inquire about volunteer work, please contact John Taylor-Montoya at john.taylor-montoya@dca.nm.gov or Ziggy Prothro by email at ziggy.prothro@dca.nm.gov.
Current volunteer opportunities
There are no current volunteer opportunities at the Office of Archaeological Studies. Please check back soon.