LCLP Juneteenth Volunteer Archaeology Opportunity. Can you dig it?

The Letitia Carson Legacy Project needs 12 archaeology volunteers on Sat. June 18th!

Here’s your chance to help further the work of Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon State University, Black Oregon Land Trust, and the Linn-Benton NAACP to preserve, interpret, and activate a plot of land in Benton County’s Soap Creek Valley which was once home to Letitia Carson. In addition to the Juneteenth Open House at the Carson Lands, this public archeology opportunity will help uncover information at this historic site to help interpret the life of a rural Black woman.

There is space for 12 volunteers, 6 for the morning shift and 6 for the afternoon shift.

Sign up HERE

Shift 1: 9 AM-12PM
Lunch 12:00 – 12:30 (please bring your own)
Shift 2: 12:30 PM-3:30 PM

Volunteers for this unique hands-on opportunity will work with either an OSU archaeology grad student or alumnus while they help excavate the Letitia Carson land. Volunteers are welcome to participate in some or all of these tasks in each test pit: excavating (skim shoveling and troweling), screening (taking the buckets of excavated dirt and screening it), and artifact sorting/recording (measuring and recording the location of the artifacts). A field lab table will also be set up at the site, and volunteers can help clean artifacts and then place them in their artifact envelopes.

What You Need to Know

• Volunteers will need to wear closed-toed shoes and long pants.
• You will need to bring gloves (gardening gloves are fine), a hat, sunscreen, water, and any snacks or food you might want, and a camera to document your hard work.
• Restrooms, shade, and a basic first aid kit will be available at the site.
• Parking is limited, and four wheel drive vehicles are recommended. Carpooling is encouraged.

Sign up to be a part of history!
Read more about Letitia Carson here.

Curious about what to expect when participating in an archeological excavation? Watch these videos from OSU!

The Excavation Process: Excavating a Site

The Excavation Process: The Tools