Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The University of Alabama Museum of Natural History expedition camp is June 10 through July 7 and is the only program in the United States that provides a hands-on, scientific field school to students as young as 14.

Now in its 23rd year, the expedition hosts authentic scientific digs with professional and academic archaeologists for high school students, teachers, and others interested in learning archaeological field techniques, lab procedures, and artifact identification. Participants will live in a base camp overlooking the Black Warrior River at Moundville Archaeological Park.

Dr. Jim Knight of The University of Alabama will guide the archaeological fieldwork, helping to uncover the secrets of the ancient civilization of Moundville, one of the preeminent archaeological sites in North America. Occupied during the Mississippian Period (A.D. 1000 to 1500), Moundville was the capital city of one of the largest and most powerful prehistoric Indian communities in the Southeast.

The site’s earthen mounds, once topped by temples, council houses, and homes of nobility, are remnants of a ceremonial and economic center whose trade routes extended across the entire lower Mississippi River Valley.

Expedition 23 is divided into four, one-week sessions, and tuition is $400 per week. Food, shelter, and scientific equipment are provided. For more information or to register, call 205/348-1516 or send an e-mail to Jan Mize at jmize@aalan.ua.edu.

Registration closes May 15 or when all spaces are filled. Alabama Natural History Society members receive a tuition discount. Membership is open to natural history enthusiasts. For more information on the Alabama Natural History Society, please visit the web site http://amnh.ua.edu, or call Kelli Harris at (205) 348-9826.

There will be an overnight tour of the expedition June 21 and 22. Expedition staff, participants, and archaeologists will teach excavation techniques, laboratory procedures, and artifact identification, and will provide a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum and labs at the park. The tour will leave from The University of Alabama Museum of Natural History at Smith Hall. The cost is $90. For details, please call Judy Everett at (205) 348-9473.

Since 1979 the Museum Expedition has provided safe, informative, and unforgettable experiences for more than 2,000 participants each summer. For many young people, the Expedition has been the catalyst leading to a science major in college and a science career afterward.

It offers high school students an opportunity to develop projects for science and social studies fairs, and with advance arrangements, students may also receive elective high school credit. Teachers who participate can earn University of Alabama Continuing Education units and professional development hours.

An Expedition Scholarship Fund has been established for students based on need and a demonstrated enthusiasm for learning. To make a tax-deductible contribution or to nominate a student to receive a scholarship, please call 205/348-9481, or send an e-mail to Brian Rushing at brushing@bama.ua.edu.