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The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) is proud to host intensive Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Professional Training Programs at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park each summer. This innovative program is designed to prepare the next generation of archaeologists, preservationists, and cultural heritage professionals through immersive field experiences, hands-on workshops, and nationally recognized instruction.
Whether you're a student, recent graduate, or early-career professional, our goal is to provide real-world, field-based training that meets the standards of the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA) and the Secretary of the Interior (SOI) that prepares you for success for a career in cultural resource management and beyond.
Alabama Historical Commission
The Alabama Historical Commission is Alabama’s official historic preservation agency and serves as the State Historic Preservation Office. Its mission encompasses archaeological sites, historic buildings and districts, cemeteries, cultural landscapes, and other resources that document the state’s long and complex history—from Indigenous occupation through the twentieth century and the recent past.
Through archaeological stewardship, historic-site management, regulatory review, preservation programs, technical assistance, research, and public education, AHC works to ensure that Alabama’s cultural resources are responsibly documented, interpreted, and preserved for future generations.
The CRM Professional Training Program at Old Cahawba advances AHC’s long-term commitment to:
Strengthen Alabama’s professional archaeological workforce by preparing participants for entry-level CRM employment
Bridge the gap between academic instruction and the practical expectations of professional fieldwork
Expand public understanding of archaeology, historic preservation, and cultural resource management
Provide accessible and affordable technical training to students and emerging professionals
Produce meaningful archaeological research that supports the preservation and interpretation of Old Cahawba
Build connections among students, government agencies, private CRM firms, universities, nonprofit organizations, and other preservation partners
Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
Located at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba rivers in the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, Old Cahawba is the site of Alabama’s first state capital and one of the Southeast’s most significant archaeological landscapes. Cahawba served as the state capital from 1820 to 1826 before developing into an important antebellum river and commercial town. Its archaeological record preserves evidence of Indigenous occupation, early statehood, urban development, slavery, the Civil War, emancipation, and Reconstruction.
Cahawba’s history did not end with the removal of the state capital or the decline of its antebellum economy. Following the Civil War, formerly enslaved residents acquired property, established homes and institutions, and shaped the town into an important center of African American community and political life. Their experiences form an essential part of Old Cahawba’s history and its continuing archaeological research.
The park preserves an extraordinary range of cultural resources, including:
Buried foundations associated with the state-capital period and historic downtown
Domestic sites connected to free and enslaved residents, including houses, kitchens, outbuildings, and activity areas
Post-emancipation homes and other resources associated with Cahawba’s African American community
Historic streets, town lots, gardens, wells, and other features of the designed landscape
Cemeteries, burial landscapes, and culturally sensitive preservation areas
Archaeological deposits reflecting Indigenous occupation and centuries of activity along the two rivers
As a National Register-listed site, Old Cahawba provides an exceptional outdoor classroom where students can investigate complex archaeological questions within an actively managed historic landscape. Participants do more than practice field techniques: they contribute to meaningful research, responsible preservation, and public interpretation that expands our understanding of Alabama’s first capital and the diverse communities who made Cahawba their home.
Who Should Apply?
Current students or recent graduates in archaeology, anthropology, history, or closely related fields who are interested in pursuing cultural resource management as a career.
Early-career professionals who do not have experience in the field.
What We Offer
In Summer 2027, we will offer:
Two 5-week CRM Professional Training Program Sessions with four separate tracks:
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Cemetery Preservation
Photogrammetry
Students will work directly with AHC archaeologists, contribute to real-world research, and gain skills that are directly transferable to careers in CRM, public archaeology, historic preservation, and others.
Previous Projects
June 29 - July 3, 2026: Cemetery Preservation Workshop - New Cemetery at Old Cahawba
June 29 - July 3, 2026: Photogrammetry Workshop - New Cemetery at Old Cahawba
June 29 - July 3, 2026: Ground Penetrating Radar Workshop - Perine Mansion and Environs
June 1 - 26, July 6 - 31: Phase 2 Evaluation - Kirkpatrick Property
June 1 - 26, July 6 - 31: Phase 1 Survey - Historic Downtown
May 25 - 29, 2026: GIS Workshop - African-American Burial Ground
May 25 - 29, 2026: Photogrammetry Workshop - Capitol Cemetery at Old Cahawba
May 25 - 29, 2026: Ground Penetrating Radar Workshop - White's Tavern and Environs
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