Archival Research & Artifact Analysis Individual Placement

Title: Archival Research & Artifact Analysis Individual Placement

Location: Vicksburg National Military Park

Reports to: John Schweikart, Archeologist

Locations: Based in Vicksburg, MS

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt (300-hour AmeriCorps National Service Term)

AmeriCorps Education Award: upon completion of term $1,459.26.

Stipend: $700/week – paid bi-weekly  

Other Benefits: Housing provided onsite.

Start/End date:  09/16/2024 – 11/22/2024 (10 weeks)

Positions Available: 1

Position opened until filled. 

Southeast Conservation Corps:  
SECC empowering young adults to cultivate compassion, responsibility, and grit through community service, and environmental stewardship.  

The Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. The SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, to complete conservation projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC programs encourage environmental stewardship, foster community partnerships, and emphasize experiential learning. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels.  

Site Description:
The mission of the Cultural Resources Section of the Law Enforcement/Resources Management Division at Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) is to preserve unimpaired the significant cultural resources of the park, all affiliated park units, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery, along with promoting the values of the National Park Service (NPS) for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. Cultural resources include buildings, structures, and objects of historical significance, archeological resources (including sites, artifact collections, and associated documentation), cultural anthropology resources (sites, collections,  shared cultural values, as well as written and oral traditions of people affiliated with our parklands), cultural landscapes (including historic sites, designed landscapes, vernacular landscapes, and ethnographic landscapes), as well as the preservation of historic research resources and museum collections including historical maps, documents, archives, artifacts, specimens, and other historically significant curated objects, photographs, or other forms of cultural information). Cultural Resources staff at VICK also assist all other divisions and the entireNPS by identifying, evaluating, preserving, protecting, and managing these varied cultural resources through information-based decision-making in compliance with all applicable federal laws & regulations, Southeast Region (SER) guidance, and following NPS-wide protocols. More Information about the park is available at Vicksburg National Military Park

Overview: 

Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) is searching for a Southeast Conservation Corps (SCC)Urban Archeology Corps (UAC) Individual Placement with expertise in historic artifact analyses and cultural resources-based archival research to assist with gathering important information for the second phase of a multi-year, multi-phase project to stabilize portions of Vicksburg National Cemetery that were damaged by landslides in 2020-2021. In collaboration with over 40 consulting parties and interested stakeholders, including multiple local, state, and national organizations, agencies, military and veteran’s organizations, federally recognized Tribes, historical groups, and various descendant communities, a contracted team of archeologists and bioarcheologists respectfully disinterred approximately 102 endangered United States Colored Troops (USCT) burials starting in Spring 2023. In April 2024, field recovery of all identified at-risk burials was completed, while processing, inventory, and analysis of human remains and associated burial objects continues. All disinterred human remains and associated burial objects and grave markers are now held in a secure location at VICK until such time that the landform can be reconstructed and stabilized through the construction of a soldier pile and lagging wall (construction tentatively scheduled for early 2025).

VICK wishes to host an SECC Individual Placement to assist with the next phase of service, including artifact analysis and historical research. Artifacts recovered from outside burial contexts require detailed analyses, including artifacts that may be associated with the colonial Spanish and historic period Choctaw occupation of Fort Nogales (ca. 1791-1798) and/or with the short-lived U.S. military occupation of Fort McHenry (ca.1798-1800), as well as artifacts directly associated with Confederate and U.S. Federal troop activities that happened during and after the siege of Vicksburg (1862-1866). Research is needed in cemetery burial ledger books, which indicate that most of the recently disinterred burials were brought to Vicksburg National Cemetery between 1867- 1891 from ten separate locations. These locations include expedient wartime burials coming from prominent antebellum plantations in the region, makeshift cemeteries at various field & city hospitals, and from local cemeteries and other places used to accommodate Union dead from regional Civil War sites. The SECC Individual Placement will assist with artifact analysis and research to produce detailed historical summaries for each these ten localities and for ten known USCT individuals. Of the approximately 6,000 USCT known to be buried at VICK, only 130 are individuals with recorded identities, 10 of which were recently disinterred. The Individual Placement’s research and ability to gather archival materials for these 10 individuals is crucial to restoring connections between these individuals and living descendants. Records show that many USCT from the greater region who survived the war ended up settling in Vicksburg, which suggests that a substantial number of lineal descendants may still be living in the area. One important aspect of this service term is to restore these kind of connections and restore personal identities, so that living descendants can be contacted and invited to take part in ongoing discussions and consultation for this unprecedented national cemetery stabilization project. 

Position Responsibilities:

Historic Artifact Analyses

• Service with VICK supervisor to identify & analyze selected classes of non-burial context artifacts and assign each to specific cultural/temporal affiliations whenever possible using standard historic artifact analysis methods & databases regularly used in North American archeology for analyzing historic period archeological assemblages.
• Plot (2 dimensionally) the general distribution of relevant classes of these non-burial context artifacts across the entire excavation area based on recorded artifact proveniences and produce artifact density distribution maps of the results.
• Update the Mississippi Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH) archeological site form for the archeological site previously documented for this location based on the results of the tasks identified in 1(i) and 1(ii) above.

Trainings to be provided: The VICK Supervisor will offer a review of preferred historic artifact analyses methods to be employed will be designed to meet or exceed NPS, SEAC, and MDAH standards & methodologies, offer a review of  how to produce informative artifact density distribution maps, and offer support/mentoring for producing/revising MDAH archeological site forms.

 Produce detailed biographical sketches & primary burial location histories.

• Utilizing a combination of online records and, – archival sources at VICK, at MDAH, and at other regional libraries, museums, historical, and genealogical societies, the Individual Placement’s will be asked to gather as much biographical information as may be available for each of the 10 named USCT recently disinterred from the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

• Gather detailed location histories for each of the 10 primary burial locations documented in in the VNC ledgers for the 102 or so recently disinterred burials combined with gathering  and summarizing relevant antebellum plantation histories, histories of potentially related settlements, local cemeteries, hospitals, military encampments, and affiliated battlefields that may be affiliated with these burials.

Training to be provided: VICK supervisor,  VICK Mellon Fellow Scholar, and VICK Museum Curator will provide one-on-one training as to the methods and procedures to be used for locating and recording all such information, as well as provide editorial reviews & comments for these draft histories.

Actively take part in public outreach, events, and other project consultation activities.

• Support VICK Interpretation Staff by producing park social media content for review & approval on a regularly scheduled basis
• Represent the public face of VICK for at least 2 public events and at at least one on-site and one online consulting/interested parties update meeting
• In conjunction with VICK Interp Staff and the Individual Placement ‘s VICK supervisor develop a “Grab and Go” kit for teaching a wide range of students (Grades K-12) about a specific aspect of historic archaeology that can be tied to archeological resources found within the park.

Trainings to be provided: Online and face-to-face training offered by VICK staff for safe and meaningful public outreach.  Vehicle safety training and procedures for use of a US Government vehicle will also be provided.

Qualifications:

• Completion of A bachelors degree (BA or BS) or higher in archeology or anthropology
• Successful completion of an accredited archaeological field school
• Successful completion of at least one course in historic artifact analysis
• Excellent writing & public speaking skills
• Agency (SECC) provided uniform is required wear to be identifiable to the visiting public and when acting as a representative of the National Park Service while serving as an Individual Placement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous teaching experience. 2. Multi-media production experience. 3. Interest in pursuing a career in historic archeology-especially in Civil War Era and/or African American Archeology.

AmeriCorps Qualifications: 
To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30 and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. 

Transportation:

A personal vehicle is not required but is strongly recommended due to the limited public transportation. NPS vehicles will be provided for transportation only. DOI Talent Defensive Driver course; one-on-one training with VICK law enforcement staff about driving safety is required for operation of park vehicles. The Individual Placement will be a driver.

Participation and Expedition Behavior:

• Serve effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem-solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service project requirements.
• Appropriately always represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners.

Outdoor Skills (where appropriate):

Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.  

Substance Free:

In accordance with a drug-free environment, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property. 

Additional Notes:

All applicants are required to perform a criminal history check, offers of employment are contingent upon results.

This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.