The University of Hawai`i will offer a full archaeological field school on the remote Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) in the summer of 2005. We will offer one field school from 4 July to 3 August, 2005. The first week of the field school will include an intensive orientation on Rapa Nui. Field School students will conduct archaeological field survey, detailed mapping, and small-scale excavations of archaeological sites. We will work directly with Native Rapanui students. We will also work with staff from the P. Sebastian Englert Museum of Anthropology on the island. We will live in a simple hotel in Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui's only town. Our field research will be conducted on prehistoric habitations and other sites in three parts of the island: Maitakitemoa (northwest coast), Akahanga (south-central coast), and with Sergio Rapu at the famous site of Anakena (northeast coast). A vast amount of previous archaeological research by Chilean and international scientists on the island illustrates the richness and complexity of the prehistoric, historic, and palaeo-environmental record on this fascinating and anthropologically-significant island.

Itinerary:

Students will travel from Honolulu or Los Angeles to Rapa Nui via Pape`ete, Tahiti (French Polynesia), in time to begin the field school on 4July, 2005. Students will spend a month on Rapa Nui doing archaeological field work with intensive, hands-on training. As part of the field school, we will have a lecture series on Pacific archaeology, field research design, Rapa Nui prehistory, the evolution of cultural elaboration, and environmental change. Students will learn archaeological survey, excavation methods, other special skills, and some museum procedures. We will plan multiple field trips to visit the numerous, indeed famous, archaeological sites on the island. Students will see a great deal of the archaeology on the island and will have ample opportunity for local activities, including hiking, horseback riding, swimming, Polynesian dance (watching or learning), and sightseeing.

Qualifications:

Costs and Expenses:

No previous archaeological courses or field experience are necessary, although we will consider some qualifications in selecting students. These include:

1) completion of some course work in archaeology or anthropology;

2) academic excellence (as indicated by grades and letter of recommendation);

3) strong motivation, positive attitude, adaptability, and ability to work well with others (as indicated by your statement and the letter of recommendation); and

4) other qualifications being equal, we will give some weight to students with an ability to speak Spanish and/or a Polynesian language (indicated in part by advanced course work or oneís native language). This is a desirable, but not an necessary qualification.

Cost: $4300 (includes course fee for 6 credits of ANTH 381, field supplies, simple shared hotel accommodation, food (three meals daily), and ground transportation on Rapa Nui).

Round-trip airfares to Rapa Nui are approximately $1,400 from Honolulu (via Papeete, Tahiti), $1,600 from Los Angeles (via Papeete, Tahiti). Fares from other regions of the U.S. are usually not significantly higher (i.e., inexpensive add-on fares get you to L.A.). We will arrange group discounted airfares for students with LAN-Chile Airlines (Honolulu Office).

Small additional costs include meals, hotel, etc., on any stopovers while en route to and from Rapa Nui. 

For more information contact: 

Dr. Terry L. Hunt, 
Department of Anthropology, 
University of Hawai`i at Manoa, 
2424 Maile Way, Saunders Hall 346, 
Honolulu, HI  96822 
E-mail:  thunt@hawaii.edu, 
Telephone: 808-956-7310

http://www.studyabroad.org/rapanui.htm

Class Limit:

Financial Aid:

The University of Hawai'i's Rapa Nui Field School does not offer financial aid. However, visit the U.H. Study Abroad Center pages for information on financial aid. In most cases, financial aid is offered through the students' home institution. Thus, students should seek such assistance through the financial aid offices of their own institution. University of Hawai'i students should apply for aid through the financial aid office in the Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services. Apply early -- support is often available for summer programs.

Class Limit: 25