A Display, Dirt, and Databases: A Summer in Yellowstone

Image: Meghan Gewerth and her display about archeology in Yellowstone.

By Meghan Gewerth
B.A. Archaeology (honors) and English minor, 2013
Summer Intern at Yellowstone National Park

Read about our summer interns on the Out West student blog. Throughout the summer, the Center's interns and Research Assistants will be sending in virtual postcards, snapshots and reports on their summer work.

This summer I worked mainly in three different areas for my archeology internship at Yellowstone National Park. The first was creating a display about archeology in the park; as far as my supervisor and I are aware there's never been a display about archeology in the park. I developed the idea with my supervisor, chose the artifacts, wrote the labels, and put together the display. I also worked on the backlog of artifacts and records in the lab, including entering information into the ICMS database, resolving duplicate catalogue numbers, and reducing the number of records in the temporary database by over 1,000 records. Lastly, I assisted with various field projects, including a historic structures survey and trail site assessment.

This summer internship was important to me because it exposed me to a different side of archeology than what I learned about as an undergraduate. This archeology focused on compliance work and what it’s like to work for the federal government. This experience was valuable because I learned about different applications of archeology and the various stakeholders that may be involved in a project. However, I was also able to use my previous archeology and lab experience to really help my supervisor. My summer work had tangible, measureable results, and I’m proud and honored to have worked for Yellowstone and the National Park Service.

I also experienced what it’s like to have a proper nine-to-five style job (in this case seven-to-five-thirty!). I learned that I work best when meeting a deadline with tangible results. I’m also glad that I had the opportunity to create a display about archeology in Yellowstone. This combined two areas I’m passionate about – archeology and museums/displays – and contributed to archeology at Yellowstone. This made me excited about bringing archeology to the public, which I will probable pursue further through a masters in Museum Studies.

Lastly, spending the summer in Yellowstone made me remember how much I love being outdoors. I grew up camping and hiking, and it was great to return to nature for a couple months. I saw gorgeous landscapes, some amazing sunsets, and lots of animals I hadn’t seen before, including bison, beavers, and badgers. I love to travel and explore new places, and Yellowstone certainly provided that opportunity. I hope to be able to travel some more in the year I’m taking off before graduate school. Who knows, there’s a chance I’ll return to visit Yellowstone. It has a way of getting under your skin, in the best way possible.

Read more at the Out West Blog for Summer Interns »