Why volunteer? Volunteers are an integral part of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology team. Enjoy the camaraderie of working with other members of the community and learn about archaeology.
How hard is it? Do I need to have experience in archaeology? Volunteers age 18 and older are welcome. No prior experience is necessary. Training is provided for all projects. Volunteers should have strong attention to detail, an interest in archaeology, museums and/or preservation; a sense of humor is appreciated. You must be able to work in an enclosed space with dirt and dust.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Archaeology Collections Crew
This volunteer crew has been hard at work since 2004 and has processed over 4,600 boxes of artifacts by rehousing collections in archival materials and generating detailed catalog records. These collections come from important archaeological sites including, Tijeras Pueblo, San Gabriel del Yunque, Tonque Pueblo, Sapawe, Gallinas Springs, Comanche Springs, collections from the Taos area, and the site of Walakpa (located in Alaska). Volunteers have also helped make object mounts for over 1,120 square feet of shelving and have photographed thousands of objects. This work is incredibly important to the Maxwell Museum's mission—it improves the long-term preservation of collections, as well as making them more accessible to researchers. This work has supported advanced archaeological research and has even helped the Museum get funding from grants.
The archaeology collections crew meets on Wednesday mornings in the Hibben Center (across the sidewalk from the museum entrance). Object Inventory
See a wide-variety of artifacts by helping with box and collections inventories. Volunteers must be able to lift ~30 lbs. boxes.
Object Photography
Assist the collections staff with tethered studio photography using professional equipment. Volunteers must be willing to learn and work with computer imaging software.
Where do volunteers meet? Archaeology volunteers work in the basement of the Hibben Center for Archaeology. See visitor page for detailed directions. Parking passes are provided.
For possible opportunities, please contact Karen E. Price, Archaeology Collections Manager, at Priceke@unm.edu.
To apply please download, read, fill out, and sign the following form: