The North American Archaeology Department of the American Museum of Natural History offers Lab Researcher Internship positions in the North American Archaeology Lab (NAARCH Lab) for undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students. The interns will handle, store, and analyze a wide variety of artifacts from southeastern North America. Lab interns have the opportunity to work with faunal remains, lithics, Native American and European ceramics, Spanish colonial artifacts, and numerous other material types. Lab work typically consists of washing, cataloging, and organizing recent collections as well as data management. Additional projects have involved fine-grained sorting of excavated materials, non-destructive analysis using PXRF, and basic level artifact analysis and documentation. In addition to lab work, interns will also be considered for their ongoing fieldwork program in Georgia, USA (offered only for the fall and spring semester). The fieldwork package offers room and board, transportation, and a monetary stipend for the duration of the trip, usually 2-3 weeks.
Individuals interested in joining the NAARCH Lab Internship should be highly
motivated, patient, detail-oriented, and professional. Prior archaeological experience in either the field or in the lab is not necessary but will be a factor in our selection. The application form can be found at this link. Remember to specify your interest in North American Archaeology on the application.
The internships are unpaid volunteer positions. A paid position is possible
dependent on departmental funding. You may indicate your interest in a paid position on the application, but please be aware that checking only the paid position box may affect your chances. Course credit can be offered to those individuals currently enrolled in an accredited school of higher learning. The North American Archaeology Lab offers three internship sessions a year (summer, fall, and spring). The NAARCH department asks interns to commit three days a week, for a period of 10 weeks per semester. The number of interns accepted varies according to the research goals per semester.
The deadlines to apply are as follows:
- Summer Session (June to August), submit January 1 – March 1
- Fall Session (September to December), submit June 4 – August 4
- Spring Session 2025 (January to May): submit October 1 – December 1
Interested applicants must submit a resume or CV, contact information for three
references, a one-page statement of purpose and the completed application form. The statement of purpose should briefly outline the applicant’s prior experience in
archaeology as well as their future plans within the discipline. Individuals with questions should feel free to email coshaughnessy@amnh.org.
