Description

Expedition Summary
Help Earthwatch study Southeast Asia's past, and learn how agriculture, technology, and changing climates affect civilizations.

Expedition Details
The rural Thai village of Ban Non Wat is a key archaeological site for understanding the origins of the Angkor Empire. You'll help map the area, looking for new prehistoric sites for excavation, and photograph and measure finds from completed excavations.

You'll work closely with local people and have a chance to truly experience Thai village life. At the end of the work day you'll be driven back to town to shop at the local market, check your e-mail, take a swim, and enjoy a delicious Thai dinner.

Meals and Accommodations
You'll stay at the comfortable Phimai Inn, with a large swimming pool, hot showers, conventional Western plumbing, and air-conditioned rooms. Breakfasts and delicious Thai dinners will be served under the pavilion next to the swimming pool, and the hotel will provide lunches each day to take to the dig site. The hotel is close to Phimai center and there is easy access to the market (including a small supermarket), where you can buy Western favorites.

About the Research Area
The Origins of Angkor research area includes the very flat upper reaches of the Mun (pronounced moon) River system and the adjacent, dryer, gently rolling uplands. The countryside is sprinkled with villages, including the project site, Ban Non Wat, which translates as Village of the Temple Mound. Rice fields dominate the landscape, interspersed with groves. A range of bird species, from bee-eaters, to hawks, to water birds, inhabit the area.

Social life in rural Thailand is largely centered on the markets. Throughout the region youll see richly decorated Buddhist temples, with monks making their rounds for alms early in the morning. During January and February many of the temples have festivals open to the public.

Highlights

The rural village of Ban Non Wat in Northeast Thailand is one of the most important sites for understanding indigenous societies ancestral to the Empire of Angkor, and each seasons work provides exciting insights to the past. This season, you'll work with Dr Nigel Chang and his colleagues to help map the wider area of the upper Mun River Valley, developing a GIS basemap, looking for new prehistoric sites and identifying the location of resources such as salt. You'll survey the catchment and its environs to locate new sites for excavation, and interview communities in neighboring villages. You'll also process finds from excavations, and may also help document the experimental production of pottery by traditional potters in the region.

You'll help reveal how Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age peoples here were affected by their environment, by changing climates, by the development of agriculture, by technological advances, and by contact with those from other lands.

Travel Types

• Archaeology
• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Native Culture Studies
• Volunteering
• Photography
• Tours

Qualifications

No experience is necessary - all you will need is enthusiasm and the desire to make a difference. For over 40 years Earthwatch Institute has pioneered the involvement of ordinary people in peer-reviewed scientific research worldwide. By joining an Earthwatch Expedition, you have a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the world's rarest animals and visit remote and beautiful locations, while directly supporting conservation science. We offer life enhancing experiences in nearly 50 countries each year, with projects for teens, adults, and families.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

1,946 to 3,146

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Our volunteers not only contribute essential funds that help to cover the cost of the research, but also, through their inspiration and effort, they provide the people power without which many of our vital projects simply couldn't take place. We are a non-profit organization but accommodation, meals, insurance, training and transport in the field are also included in your contribution cost. As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, your contribution and airfare costs are usually tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people, including students, retirees, families, educators, and anyone seeking an exciting journey that enables them to give back to the environment. Our expeditions have a wide range of activity levels, from hiking intensive to easy expeditions with limited physical activity. There is an Earthwatch expedition out there for everyone!

Age Range

Adult (age 18-90) teams available.

This Program is open to

Worldwide, American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Independent living

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 4-8

Scholarships are Available

Very limited fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves

• Other
• Phone/Video Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire connections between people and the environment by engaging them in worldwide scientific field research and education. These efforts will promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. We believe it is essential that people participate in solving the environmental challenges we face.

Year Founded

1971