Archaeological Discussion Group

Deadline: October 13, 2023

The Harvard-Cornell-led Archaeological Exploration of Sardis invites applicants for a two-year summer internship working as part of the conservation team at Sardis, Turkey. The position spans the twelve weeks of the 2024 summer excavation season (beginning of June 2024 to mid-August 2024) and then again for the twelve-week 2025 summer excavation season (beginning of June 2025 to mid-August 2025). Commitment to participate in both excavation seasons is required.

The conservation team at Sardis supports the excavations through study and conservation of newly and previously excavated finds-both in the lab and the field-and with various site maintenance projects. The materials excavated at Sardis date from the Bronze Age, Lydian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique, and Byzantine periods, and include ceramics, stone, wall painting, copper alloys, iron alloys, lead, precious metals, glass, and bone/ivory artifacts. Under the supervision and guidance of a team of senior and supervising conservators, interns will also learn and carry out a variety of conservation activities in support of active excavations including lifting, cleaning, stabilization, reconstruction, examination and technical analysis, as well as written and image-based documentation. The Sardis conservation team also supports the long-term care of an on-site collection of artifacts excavated since 1958 through re-treatment, rehousing, and preventive conservation. More information on the conservation activities at Sardis can be found here.

Applicants must currently be enrolled in a graduate-level conservation program or equivalent. This position is not paid, but travel to-and-from Turkey as well as visa expenses are covered, lodging and meals are provided, and interns will be granted a stipend for travel within Turkey on their days off. This travel stipend varies slightly season-to-season based on exchange rates and inflation, but is on the order of $450.

Successful applicants are required to provide evidence of or obtain their own medical insurance for the duration of their internship.

To apply, please send a curriculum vitae, a reference (with contact details), and cover letter to jenkimconservation@gmail.com no later than October 13th. References will be contacted for those applicants who are invited to interview. Applicants will be notified regarding this position by the end of October 2023.

For inquiries contact any of the following:

Nicholas Cahill (ndcahill@wisc.edu), Director

Emily Frank (emilybeatricefrank@gmail.com), Supervising Conservator

Jennifer Kim (jenkimconservation@gmail.com), Supervising Conservator