The 2025 OU Archaeological Field School will be conducted in Eastern Oklahoma at Spiro. The project will teach students how to conduct archaeological excavations and students will earn 5 credit hours. This work is part of an effort to learn more about life at Spiro.
The project will investigate several areas of the site determined to be of interest from prior remote sensing. The work is conducted under permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers and agreement from the Caddo and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Nations.
Class: Fieldwork in Archaeology – ANTH 3930 (5 credit hours). Those with a previous field school can discuss with the instructors enrolling in ANTH 4930 – Advanced Fieldwork in Anthropology (5 credit hours).
Dates: May 12 to June 13. Move in at the dorms in Ft. Smith will happen on May 11.
Prerequisite: Instructor permission and must be 18 years of age or older by May 11, 2025 (as a requirement of the dorms we are staying in).
Application: The Word version of this form can be downloaded using this link. Email to Patrick Livingood (patrickl@ou.edu) after you have filled it out.
The application deadline is March 28. Non-OU students will need to apply by early April to complete the application process.
Eligibility: This class is open to any undergraduate students that are 18 years or older as of May 11, 2025. In case we receive more applications than there are spots, preferences will be given to OU students.
Cost: There are two main costs for this program plus an application fee for non-OU students.
OU Tuition and Fees. Cost for tuition and fees for OU students will vary between depending on the student. See this site on Summer Enrollment for more information on cost. OU’s flat rate tuition policy means that OU students that have not enrolled in 30 credit hours during the fall and spring will be discounted the tuition and some fees during the summer. Please work with the bursar to calculate your exact expense.
According the Bursar, the tuition and fees for undergraduates for the 5 credit hours for students without banked hours will be:
In-state: $2266.50
Out-of-state: $5196.50
Room and Board. All students will be required to pay a room and board fee of around $400-550. This amount may change somewhat as we know final enrollment, and will be finalized when acceptance notices go out.
Application Fee for non-OU students. Non-OU students will need to pay an application fee to become non-degree undergraduate visitors at OU. (Do not start this process until I email you an acceptance to the field school.) The application fee is $40 for domestic students and $90 for international students.
Skills: Students will learn to excavate archaeological sites and to recognize and interpret archaeological features.
Work schedule: Field work will take place Monday through Friday during the field portion of the project. Students will be free during the weekends.
Lodging and Food: We will be staying at dorms at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith during the field school portion of the project. During this time, Room and Board fee will pay for dinners Monday through Thursday. Students will provide their own breakfasts and lunches and other meals.
Instructors: The class has three instructors: Patrick Livingood, Scott Hammerstedt, and Amanda Regnier.
Support: The class is being generously sponsored by the OU Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences and its Department of Anthropology, and the Oklahoma Archeological Survey.
Questions? Please direct any questions to Patrick Livingood at patrickl@ou.edu.