Las Vegas Natural History Museum

My Las Vegas Natural History Museum internship has been an enjoyable learning experience. I worked in many different areas learning the ins and outs of museum work. This has multiple benefits for my future career. Since anthropologists and archaeologists often work in or closely with museums, it is important to understand the procedures taken and the criteria needed to become a nationally accredited and certified repository for the state. I am learning to identify faunal remains and lithics and interpret their importance in the surrounding context. I have learned how to sort, tag, catalog, and store artifacts properly. These skills directly impact my career goals which will be necessary to have working in cultural resource management. Learning about past and present cultures has always been a passion for me. There is a lot of meticulous work that needs to be done, but that does not deter me from wanting to pursue my dream of being an archaeologist. Next semester I am taking a field practicum that will take place out of the Valley of Fire. This will allow me to get hands-on field experience that is necessary to secure a job in my field. There I will be learning to excavate, which is where many of the items at the museum come from. Having the knowledge of what happens after the excavation allows me to understand the required information I need to gather to manage their storage or repatriation properly. One piece of advice I would offer to incoming interns is to remember that no job is too small, too big, or out of your area. Working in many different areas allows you to gain a holistic understanding of your industry and add to the breadth of your knowledge.