YAMA PROJECT
Positions are still available for the 2017 field season! Apply now at http://www.olympic.edu/
Yama was a Japanese village on Bainbridge Island, WA, occupied from the 1890s until 1924.
Today, archaeologists from Olympic College are beginning to recover the traces of this important chapter in Washington State history and the history of Japanese Americans.
Students will participate in documenting the history and development of this unique Japanese settlement occupied over a 40 year period.
Visit: http://www.olympic.edu/anthropology/yama-project
Open enrollment begins in Spring, and applying to Olympic College is a simple process.
Admissions: http://www.olympic.edu/current-students/getting-started/admissions
The 2016 field school was a phenomenal success. Professor Aranyosi and the crew and students completed survey of nearly 40% of the site and began limited exploratory excavations. The locations of structures and roads were discovered, and locations for deep excavations and wide, "clearing" excavations were selected for the 2017 field season. Over 1100 artifacts were collected, analyzed, photographed, and cataloged in preparation for
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The Yama Project features on the cover of The View, Olympic College's guide for students, for Spring Quarter, 2015!
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An exhibit of the Yama Project, designed by Dr, Caroline Hartse, was on display in the Olympic College Art Gallery from April 13 to May 5, 2015, after which it traveled to other institutions.
Project
The Yama Project is scheduled to run for three years (2015-2017), and includes a field school to teach students the methods, techniques, and theories of applied archaeology. Students will develop the skills of survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, historical and documentary research, public outreach, community involvement, and publication.
The course will be 12 credits, which constitutes full-time enrollment for Summer Quarter, and will meet M-F from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
History
Japanese immigrants came to Bainbridge Island to work at the Port Blakely sawmill. The first immigrants were single men, but women, married couples, and families soon followed, and by the early 20th Century, the population of Yama was around 300 people. After the First World War, the sawmill closed and Yama was abandoned by the mid-1920s. Today, the village is nearly invisible, but archaeologists hope to recover the traces of this "lost chapter" in our history.
Latest News
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Registration will soon be open for the 2017 Field School.
Positions are still available for the July 5th - August 24th field season. Apply and register for Anth&270 at Olympic College: http://www.olympic.edu/ for a 12 credit, fully accredited field school, certified with the Register of Professional Archaeologists.
Above: Dr. Robert Drolet with OC students at the location of Takayoshi's general store and photo studio, as it appears today.
Get Involved
To apply for enrollment in the field school, contact Professor Floyd Aranyosi (faranyosi@olympic.edu) or Dr. Caroline Hartse (chartse@olympic.edu). To support us through social media, contact professor Floyd Aranyosi (faranyosi@olympic.edu), and be sure to "like" us on Facebook.
Our Collaborators
We are grateful for the support of the following organizations:
BI Parks Foundation
BI Rotary
BI History Museum
OC Foundation
OC Social Science & Humanities Division
Cultural Resource Consultant, Inc.
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community
Bainbridge Island Community Foundation
Kitsap County Historical Society & Museum
Bainbridge Island Historic Preservation Commission
Students in Dr. Robert Drolet's archaeology course at Olympic College visited the site in October of 2014.