The Humanities Division is excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for Humanities undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to conduct research led by Professor of History Dr. Elaine Sullivan.

Undergraduate research connects Humanities majors and minors to faculty-led research projects in the Division, and it provides a valuable opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and develop skills to make an impactful intellectual or creative contribution to their field. Students gain practical experience and professional training that builds on their studies in the Humanities. At the same time, faculty benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise.  

About The Project

401 faience ushabti figurines were discovered in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian elite Tjanenhebu at the necropolis of Saqqara in 1900 and sold and disbursed globally by the Egyptian Antiquities Service through various channels. Faculty member Sullivan is tracing the distribution of these objects worldwide and needs assistance from a student research intern to identify and document as many of the ushabti figurines from Tjanenhebu's tomb as possible. 

Position Description:

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• 50% of effort: Student will perform online research on a series of museum databases and auction house catalogs in both Europe and the Americas as designated by the faculty member to research the distribution of a series of ancient Egyptian ushabti figurines across the globe as part of the early 20th-century antiquities market. 
• 40% of effort: Student will keep a detailed provenance database with recorded information on each object's current location (including links to URL images or museum websites), information on channels of distribution, research into figures who purchased/sold the items, and potentially make contact with museum staff to request additional information on objects sales and acquisition in a shared Google Drive spreadsheet document. Student is responsible for clear and robust documentation in the spreadsheet and keeping it up to date based on their research.
• 9% of effort: Student (with research guidance from faculty) will research catalog publications in the UCSC and UC library systems and try to identify additional ushabtis that are not published online and document these as well in the shared spreadsheet document.
• 1% of effort: Student will track their hours and report them weekly to the faculty member 

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a declared major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division, and you are in good academic standing. Or, you have proposed the major or minor and can declare by the end of the academic year in June. [required]
• Familiarity (preference for past coursework at the undergraduate level) in ancient Egyptian history or art and prior performance of independent library-based research on ancient Egyptian topics
• Knowledge of basic Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to fill in and track objects in a structured database
• Experience using online museum website catalogs and/or auction house catalogs to research objects/artifacts
• Demonstrate high facility for organization and meticulousness in record keeping.
• Foreign language skills (reading) in German, French, and Italian are especially useful but not required.

Internship Term: 9/23/24 – 12/14/24

Hours: 10 hours/week

Compensation: $20/hour depending on experience 

# Positions Available: 1

Reports to:  Dr. Elaine Sullivan 

How To Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why this job? Why you? Why now?.

• Address your cover letter to Dr. Sullivan 
• REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate! 

Once the application window closes on September 1, there will be an interview process with top candidates.

APPLY NOW

Please contact Experiential Learning Coordinator Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

The Mellon Foundation generously supports this undergraduate internship.