I conducted an internship with the Gault School of Archaeological Research (GSAR) in the spring semester of 2013 at Texas State University . I decided to intern at the Gault School to learn more about lithics, processing, and research going on by archaeologist on staff. The Gault site, directed by Dr. Michael B. Collins is one of the most notable sites containing hundreds of thousands of artifacts dating to Clovis and older than Clovis (OTC). The opportunity to intern at this world-renowned school has profoundly helped me educationally.
The Gault site is located in Bell and Williamson counties in Texas and the Gault School of Archaeological Research is located in San Marcos, Texas at Texas State University. Texas State University now has the opportunity to partake in archaeological research that could recognize a new culture that predates Clovis culture. As of now the Clovis-first hypothesis states that the Clovis are believed to be the first people to expand to the new world and migrate throughout the Americas.
The GSAR lab is very welcoming, meaning that once you walk in you are greeted friendly by interns, employees, or volunteers. Although this may seem off topic, I would like to stress that this welcoming environment allows and encourages astounding work to be done. Many archaeologists that I have talked to personally have stressed that the work environment and the crew chemistry are vital to astonishing research. Thus, the friendly environment of GSAR has enabled much credible work to be done and has led me to appreciate and work vigorously with the artifacts that have been found at Gault. Research being done at GSAR not only includes analysis of artifacts from the Gault site, but also other archaeologists work being done from other areas and time periods. At the moment research at GSAR includes Folsom and Midland technology and variation, Clovis flakes, comparing Clovis blade technology to Solutrean blade technology, Clovis subsistence at Gault, Usewear on Angostura points, Andice technology compared to the site at Calf Creek, Geoarchaeology of Area 15 excavation at Gault, pre-clovis from Area 15, and lithic assemblage from a Mississippian site in Tennessee.
The lab is well organized and allows for an interactive work environment. Throughout my internship I was able to ask any questions pertaining to artifacts that I was sorting or processing, as well as any questions about the field of archaeology. Not only did the staff help me, but other students that were doing research in the lab were helpful. The main attributes in the lab were the kindness and willingness to help an upcoming archaeologist, like myself, by informing me of particular marketable skills to obtain and helping me develop a network for future job opportunities.
The overall experience in my internship from GSAR was unique in the fact that I was handling artifacts from a Clovis period that has yet to yield many artifacts. Therefore I appreciated the opportunity to handle and see these artifacts that are so rare in our field. Also the staff and other students doing research at GSAR made the experience even better by being helpful and willing to help educate a fellow member of the lab team. I have learned a great deal from interning at GSAR for about four months and have also talked to Dr. Collins about volunteering whenever I have the chance to and he not only welcomed me, but also gave me an opportunity to do some field work at the Gault site during the summer.
The research being done at GSAR will undoubtedly change our understanding of believed theories in archaeology. The fact that their work is so close to being done makes me appreciate the opportunity they gave me even more and also the fact that I am part of the analysis of this world changing research makes it that more special. I wish the staff and students doing research nothing but the best. As for future interns, students, or staff I would like to insure you that GSAR is unique as in research and that you will be welcomed and helped willingly by others as part of the Gault team.