Historical Japanese Gulch Field School

Japanese Gulch developed alongside the Mukilteo Lumber Company, which began hiring Japanese workers in 1903. The community grew from 35 residents in 1903 to 100 by 1909, expanding further after the Crown Lumber Company purchased the mill. Japanese-American workers were vital to industries across the Pacific Northwest, including lumber, farming, and railroads (NWAA 2009, 14). Ethnographic accounts and archaeological evidence reveal a vibrant community with single-story family homes, a dormitory for 45 single men, a playground, a community hall, and a boys’ club (SWCA 2011, 13–14). Residents sourced goods from Japan or local merchants, utilized nearby resources, and shopped at the Crown Company Store (NWAA 2009, 55–56). However, the late 1920s economic downturn led to the Crown Lumber Company’s closure in 1930, causing residents to leave in search of work and marking the decline of Japanese Gulch.

• Location: Mukilteo, WA
• Cost $989.78 (tuition and fees) for Washington State Residents, $2415.10 (tuition and fees) for non-Washington State Residents
• Dates - Start/end: July 6-August 1

• Time start/end 8:30 am-3:30 pm

• Credits 7 Anthropology credits.
• Archaeology Field Methods and Archaeology Lab Methods ANTH 270 & ANTH 271; ANTH 272 & ANTH273; ANTH 274 & ANTH 275
• Meets Social Science distribution and Cultural Diversity Requirements.

• New to the College? Please enroll at Edmonds College and choose Option 1. Registration can take several weeks to process. Start as early as possible.
• Registration opens May 21 2026
• Deadline for FAFSA Summer aid application- Deadline May 15 2026

• The class will take place from July 6-July 31, five days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
• All equipment will be provided, and students will be responsible for transporting themselves to/from the site with a packed lunch and snacks for the day (there are no close food options with the break time permitted).
• This is a physical, hands-on class where students will learn field excavations techniques and lab processing.
• No prior anthropology or archaeology experience is required. All students are welcome to enroll in Anthropology 270/271 (Archaeology Field Methods 270 and Archaeology Lab Methods). Students who have already taken Anth 270 may enroll in Anth 272/273 or 274/275 based on experience.

Edmonds College Anthropology Department is offering the opportunity for an Archaeology Internship as part of our Archaeology Field School Program. Upon instructor approval, interns will register for Anth 298 5-credit class.

Internship requirements

All interns must have completed at least one prior field school with supplemental experience (e.g. lab experience, professional CRM experience, completion of a certificate program, or graduate experience).

Internship details

Students may apply as a research intern, excavation intern or field lab intern. All interns will participate in day to day field activity support including site setup and site paperwork quality checks. Independent projects include mentoring Archaeology 270/271; 272/273; 274/275 students in the following capacity:

• Research interns will focus on site background development, analysis of historic images and maps as well as geographic data collection.
• Field interns will support mentoring students in digging shovel probes and test units.
• Field lab interns will mentor students in sorting labeling and washing artifacts in the field.
• Completion of weekly summary report

Application and enrollment

After Admission to Edmonds College, and to apply for an internship course credit (Anth 298), please email- ashley.pickard@edmonds.edu the following application material:

• A current resume or curriculum vitae, including previous field school/work experience.
• A detailed one-page statement of personal, academic, and professional reasons for participating.
• The names and contact information of at least one academic or professional reference.
• Please email application materials to ashley.pickard@edmonds.edu by June 20

Interns must enroll in Anth 298

• Please enroll at Edmonds College and choose Option 1
• Enrollment opens May 21, 2026

Archaeology field school students can choose to live in the Edmonds College Residential Halls.