We are currently seeking volunteers for the autumn 2010 field season. See below for information on how to volunteer for either excavation or reconnaissance survey work.

The role of volunteers in the Western Sahara Project

Volunteers play a vital role in the work of the Western Sahara Project, and make a major contribution to the funding of the Project, which is run on a not-for-profit basis, with all funds raised going towards the costs of fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Volunteers can participate in both excavations and reconnaissance survey work, and do not need to have any experience of archaeology or desert environments. Full instruction will be given in excavation and field survey techniques, and volunteers will work closely with a variety of specialists while in the field. Volunteering for a field season provides an opportunity to gain general archaeological experience, learn about arid environments and past environmental change, or simply explore a fascinating and largely inaccessible part of the world that has been effectively closed to outsiders for several decades. 

The cost of participating in a field season is comparable with the cost of many adventure holiday packages, or the cost of participating in a conservation project such as those run by many charitable organisations. For further information on the next field season, and on how to volunteer, see below.

Excavations

Excavations take place in the Project's principal study area, some 15 km north of the main settlement of Tifariti. Excavation teams stay in Tifariti, travelling to the excavation site on a daily basis. Excavations are supervised by experienced field archaeologists, and full instruction will be given to volunteers in excavation techniques as required. The aims of excavations are to acquire samples for radiometric dating (radiocarbon and optically stimulate luminescence), provide materials for the analysis of human remains (including isotopic analysis to infer information about diet, range and mobility), assess funerary practices, and record grave goods. Monuments will be reconstructed after excavation, and human remains will be reinterred.

Excavation work is led by Dr Joanne Clarke (joanne.clarke [@] uea.ac.uk).

Reconnaissance survey 

Reconnaissance survey work takes place throughout the Polisario controlled areas of Western Sahara, focusing on either the Northern or Southern Sector in any given season, and has two principal aims:

1. To identify and sample environmental indicators of past humid conditions (e.g. dry lake beds, geochemical crusts formed by the presence of surfae water, springline deposits, etc), in order to infer information about the timing, duration and nature of past humid episodes through subsequent laboratory analysis.

2. To identify and record new archaeological sites, focusing on funerary monuments. Environmental work contributes to the development of a chronological framework within which the archaeological record may be interpreted, addressing questions of how prehistoric populations were affected by and responded to climatic and environmental change, particularly during the period between about 6000 and 4000 years ago when humid conditions gave way to aridity in a series of apparently rapid climatic changes around 5900, 5200 and 4200 years ago.

Reconnaissance survey work is led by Dr Nick Brooks (nick.brooks [@] uea.ac.uk).

Autumn 2010 Field Season

Our next field season will take place in the Northern Sector of the Polisario-controlled areas of Western Sahara in autumn 2010, and will consist of two overlapping components. Excavations will run from early October to mid-November, and reconnaissance survey will take place from early to late November. Volunteers can participate in either excavation or reconnaissance survey work.  Note that at the time of writing the excavation work is subject to the availability of external funding. Reconnaissance work will be funded entirely from the contributions of volunteers and specialists participating in the fieldwork. Please note that, while dates are as accurate as possible at the time of writing, these will need to be confirmed later in the year subject to flight timetables between Algiers and Tindouf. 

Excavation work

Subject to the securing of external funding and liaison with the local authorities, a season of excavation will run from 1 October - 13 November 2010. The excavations will be structured as two consecutive 3-week modules, each of which will involve the excavation of two funerary monuments. Up to eight volunteers are sought to participate in excavation work, on the basis that each volunteer will spend three weeks in the field (either 1-23 October or 23 October-13 November). Each 3-week excavation module will therefore involve four volunteers, in addition to the specialist members of the project team. Volunteers do not need to have experience of archaeological excavation for this field season, although volunteers with excavation experience are of course welcome.

Reconnassaince survey work

The 2010 reconnaissance work will be highly multi-disciplinary, involving the identification and sampling of indicators of past environmental change, the identification and rapid recording of new archaeological sties, an ecological survey of the modern habitats of the Northern Sector, and an assessment of the palaeontological record. Much of this work will be conducted in the vicinity of Wadi Lawaj, in the north-central region of the Northern Sector, and Bou Dheir, in the southwest of the Northern Sector near the border with Mauritania. 

Volunteers will work principally on the recording of funerary monuments, and will be given full instruction in recording methodologies, which will involve the recording of key aspects of monuments using recording forms designed specifically for this task. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to spend time with the palaeoenvironmental, ecological, and palaeontological survey teams. In addition, there will be opportunities to visit prehistoric rock art sites at Bou Dheir, Sluguilla, and Rekeiz Lemgassem. 

The reconnaissance survey will run from 5-27 November 2010. It may be possible to participate in the reconnaissance survey work for a shorter period, subject to negotiation with the organisers.

 A minimum of five volunteers is required for reconnaissance survey work.

Travel to the field

Travel to the field will be via Algiers, from where the team will take an internal flight to the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf. Here the team will be met by representatives of the Polisario (Sahrawi) government. The team will spend one night in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the vicinity of Tindouf, before travelling overland to the Northern Sector of Western Sahara, where excavation and reconnaissance teams will travel to their study areas. The excavation team will be based permanently at Tifariti, while the reconnaissance survey team will spend most of the time away from Tifariti, camping in the open or staying in Polisario military bases. Full details of the itinerary and logistics will be circulated to the team in advance of travel.

Conditions in the field

Conditions in the field are very basic, with accommodation consisting of dormitory rooms in Polisario military bases and (for reconnaissance work in remote locations) camping in the open air. Cold showers are available at Tifariti and some of the other bases. It is important to bring a good 3-4 season sleeping bag, as nights can be cold. This should be complemented by a good quality sleeping mattress or thermarest.  Some team members bring a small one-person tent, although this is not essential for those who do not mind sleeping in the open (a full list of necessary equippment will be circulated to volunteers well in advance departure). While nights can be cold (and can drop to 5-10° C in November andt December), temperatures during the daytime are generally in the 20s or 30s. Teams will have their own cook, and the food and hospitality are always spoken of very highly by our volunteers. The Free Zone has no paved roads, and almost no permanent settlements (those that exist are little more than hamlets). Traditional nomadic lifestyles are still practiced in the area, and the archaeological record remains virtually unknown to the international research community. Photos of the area and of the field study sites are available here. If you would like to speak to any volunteers from previous seasons (some have participated in multiple seasons and are coming back for more in October) let us know and we can put you in touch. See below for contact details.

Costs

The cost of participating in the autumn 2010 field season is £2395, based on 3 weeks in the field for either excavataion or reconnaissance survey work. This includes international travel from London, all travel, accommodation and subsistence while in the field, and a contribution to the costs of running the field season (e.g. staff costs, fuel and other incidental costs). A small discount will be given to anyone participating for only 2 weeks, equivalent to one week's susbsistence. It may be possible for anyone travelling from outside the UK to meet the team in Algiers, in which case the cost of travel from London will be deducted from the volunteer fee. If you have experience of archaeological excavations and are interested in the possibility of participating in future field season at a reduced rate please contact the organisers (below) to discuss possibilities. Volunteers are requested to arrange their own travel insurance (the organisers can provide advice on this issues).

To register an interest in participating in the autumn 2010 field season, find out about future field seasons, or request more information, please contact:

    - Nick Brooks for reconnaissance survey work and general enquiries (nick.brooks [at] uea.ac.uk) 

    - Joanne Clarke for excavation work (joanne.clarke [at] uea.ac.uk)