• Photo of a person working on archeological dig

    The 2023 Archaeological Field School begins in June. Check out our blog and social media pages for updates.

  • A black and white photo include five men holding a sign that says "support the fort"

    Learning to Dig It. Personal commentary and video from Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Field School.

    View Video
  • woman standing in a snowy scene with snow shoes and warm clothes
  • Floodplain site

    Main floodplain site where the students dig.

  • A gun side plate in the palm of a hand

    A fragment of a decorative side plate from a French trading gun

News

Niles History Center and the FSJAP are proud to announce that Fort St. Joseph in Pictures is now available! In this book, the lives of those residing at the post are illuminated through photographs documenting a selection of the more than 300,000 artifacts recovered from the site. Follow the link to order your copy today.

Recently, our Project was selected to be featured on the Michigan Archaeology Poster by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. October is Michigan Archaeology Month and the celebration kicked off with the Michigan Archaeology Day event in Lansing on October 7th at the Michigan History Center. To accompany the poster, the Michigan SHPO also launched a special webpage "Bringing Fort St. Joseph to Life," expanding on the content.

If you need any help or support, please reach out to us at coas-iias-fsj@wmich.edu.

Archaeological Field School

The Western Michigan University archaeological field school will take place in Summer II 2024, from July 9 to August 9, 2024.

Apply Now

Field School Flyer

If you have questions about the program or the application process, please reach out to us at coas-iias-fsj@wmich.edu.

Staff and students will provide regular updates on the Project’s blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Archaeology Summer CAMP Program

Sponsored by Western Michigan University and the City of Niles, the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Summer Camp Program provides an opportunity for the public to investigate and interpret the history and archaeology of Fort St. Joseph, an 18th century mission, garrison, and trading post. 

Campers will learn about archaeology and the history of Fort St. Joseph at the Niles District Library. In addition, they will perform lab activities and excavate at the site alongside WMU archaeologists and field school students. 

Summer Camp Flyer

Camp Dates & Applications

2024 Camp Dates:

  • July 16-19: Experienced Learners (for camp attendees in the last 5 years)
  • July 22-26: Entering Grades 6-12
  • July 29-August 2: Lifelong Learners and Educators

Registration information can be found at www.nileshistorycenter.org. For questions or more information about the camps, please contact the Project's Public Education Instructor, Tim Bober, at timothy.bober@wmich.edu

ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE SERIES

We are currently planning for our next archaeology lecture series. Stay tuned for more information. 

Archaeology OPEN HOUSE

Come visit and explore the nationally recognized archaeological site of Fort St. Joseph during the Project’s Annual Archaeology Open House! Our event will be held during the first weekend in August from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. 

During the Open House, the public will be able to explore the site and our excavations, view recently discovered artifacts, learn about the people of the past through a living history village, enjoy a replica birchbark canoe ride, and much more! We look forward to seeing and celebrating with everyone there!

The Fort St. Joseph newsletter

The newsletter includes recent news about archaeology work and research, upcoming events, opportunities to get involved, and alumni of Fort St. Joseph. To subscribe, please fill out this brief form

Videos of Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph