The field school in New Mexico felt like one big adventure to me, with lots of new things to learn. Having never been to the US before, it made me fall in love with a place I did not think I would love as much. It was amazing to both excavate at a Gallina site as well as see and hear about lots of other important sites in the area.The trips really helped putting everything into a bigger perspective and made me understand what we were doing a lot better. There are definitely some things from this field school, especially being very open about information given to a general audience, that have influenced my view on what kind of archaeologist I want to be during my future career.

When I started looking for a field school, I was a bit disappointed that not all field schools provided a variety of technique instruction.  Some only concentrated on excavation, while others were geared more towards other techniques.  However, the Gallina Field School provided everything I could ask for.  Techniques in excavation, surveying, and even work in flotation techniques for paleobotany.  The instruction was first-rate and provided the best archaeological experience I could have asked for.  On top of it all, we were able to visit outstanding archaeological sites in the area, and view Native American ceremonies.  Anyone looking for a first-rate field school should take a look at the Gallina Field School. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

You are probably looking at this archaeological field school in order to gain experience with excavating and surveying. You will definitely gain this experience, but the field school can offer you much more. We visited many different archaeological sites in the American Southwest, and met with indigenous and non-indigenous people involved in the creation and maintenance of heritage. This field school taught me that archaeology is not the study of dead artefacts—it means contributing to a living heritage and culture.

I took part in the 2019 summer session of this field school. I really enjoyed this project and learned a lot from it. I used to be mostly familiar with the excavation of Roman remains; Gallina architecture was very different from what I was used to seeing. I was taught new excavation techniques and became capable of recognizing and excavating Gallina architectural features and material culture. I also learned to become more autonomous and take responsibilities in the field. The excavations, but also the visit of other Gallina sites and more broadly Ancestral Pueblo sites such as Chaco Canyon, enabled me to better understand the social, political and religious processes that developed in the region. Meetings with scholars involved in different research aspects of the field showed me the way archaeology is organized in the United States and how indigenous communities are involved in the management of their heritage. I also had the opportunity to visit tourist spots in the region (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and the Abiquiu lake) and see magnificent landscapes every day on the drive to the field site.

I am so glad that this project was my first field school experience. During the course of the program, I had the opportunity to participate in research, becoming more familiar with the general methods of excavating, surveying, recording findings, and communicating ideas. In Gallina, I also had the opportunity to interact with the community members, not only working with them on the project, but also attending their traditional feast days. The methodology that I learned contributed to my success in archaeology courses following the field school and the immersion into the northern New Mexican culture that I experienced has encouraged me to continue working with Native communities after college. I would highly recommend that any interested students attend this field school.

I was part of this project in the summer of 2018. Going into it, it was difficult to know what to expect; New Mexico had been plagued by forest fires, making our original site impossible to excavate. Dr. Borck worked around the clock to find an alternative site for us, and it is not only his perseverance but also his relationship with the community, which would come to characterize the dig. On top of that, he ensured that we got to interact with the various communities that make up the region. It made me realize just how important it is to foster relationships with the local communities and to keep a line of communication open. As a result of this realization I am now studying Heritage and Museum Studies, where this communication aspect is emphasized as being key to maintaining heritage sites around the world.