Training

IMPORTANT INFORMATION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

All forms listed in RED are downloadable - just click the word for each.

All trainees must be 2026 RIMAP members. If you are not currently a member, you can purchase a membership at the same time as you make payment for the class/es. You can either complete the online form on the membership application page of this website or click the red RIMAP members text above to download the form.
All classes to be held at the RIMAP artifact management lab, Herreshoff Marine Museum on Burnside Streets, Bristol, RI. The lab is on the 3rd floor of an industrial building across from the main museum exhibit area - great view but sorry, no elevator. For those who wish to take Intro and who can't manage stairs, please see the offering in Warwick on September 12.
* Pre-registration is required a minimum of 3 days in advance of each class.
To register electronically: Fill out the TRAINING APPLICATION FORM and return it by email to rhodeislandmap@yahoo.com, and use the PayPal button on the RIMAP website at www.rimap.org (see the drop-down menu in upper right-hand corner of the Home Page).
To Register by Snail Mail: Please print the TRAINING APPLICATION FORM and mail it with a check (made out to RIMAP) to Box 1492, Newport, RI 02840. Registration confirmation will include details and a map.

2026 RIMAP TRAINING APPLICATION

Saturday, August 8 (9-14) - Introduction to Marine Archaeology ($100): Instructor Kathy Abbass Ph.D. Describes how marine archaeologists work, including remote sensing, field methods, legal issues, field documentation. Includes RIMAP protocols, past research results and future plans. This class is required for RIMAP volunteer participation. This session will be held at the RIMAP lab at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI.

Saturday, August 15 (9-12) - Museums, Preserves, and Sharing Shipwrecks ($50): Instructor Joy Elvin, M.A. Interpreting submerged cultural resources to enjoy our underwater heritage using examples from around the world. How underwater parks and marine preserves protect fragile historic resources and enhance the public's interest in our maritime past, and the possibility for similar programs in Rhode Island.

Saturday, August 22 (9-12) - Basic Artifact Management ($50) Instructor Kathy Abbass, Ph.D. How artifacts are taken into study collections from archaeological excavations, including proper paperwork tracking, photography, 3-D imaging, and simple conservation. Also the basics of artifact identification and site interpretation using archaeological data from artifact and samples. RIMAP lab team members will also assist in the hands-on training.

Saturday, August 22 (1-4) - Site Mapping ($50): Instructors Kathy Abbass, Ph.D. and Shannon Nelson-Maney, M.A. Leads students in how to collect and interpret archaeological data. It introduces the selection of a site datum, installation of baselines, linear, circular, and pendulum searches. Introduces the installation of grids and drawing from them. The Site Mapping class demonstrates how to interpret field data and create simple site maps. This is also a practicum recommended for those who participate in RIMAP fieldwork.

Sunday, August 29 (1-4) - Archaeology of the Classical Mediterranean ($50): Instructor Peter Nulton, Ph.D. The archaeological study of Greek and Roman civilizations from @ 800 BCE to 400 CE. Peter discusses how archaeological studies enhance the standard understanding of Greek and Roman civilization that is usually based entirely on textual sources and how the field is changing in response to 21st-century archaeological issues.

Saturday, September 5 (9-12) - Ship Construction for Archaeologists ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass, Ph.D. What marine archaeologists need to know about how boats are built to interpret historic shipwreck sites. Describes various types of watercraft found throughout time and around the world, and how these structures are the most complex machines built by man, and the European ship building traditions of RIMAP's archaeological shipwreck studies.

Saturday, September 5 (1-4) - Rhode Island in the Revolution ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass, Ph.D. Why RI was pivotal to Patriot success in the Revolution, what happened here, and who was involved. Raids on land, conflicts on the water, and how divided loyalties of the local population (British sympathizers and Patriots supporting the American cause) sometimes fractured families. Special information about Revolutionary War locations and those now open to the public.

Sunday, September 12 (9-4) - Introduction to Marine Archaeology ($100): Instructors Kathy Abbass, Ph.D. and Shannon Nelson-Maney, M.A. Second offering to be held at the Rogers Free Public Library in Warwick, RI.

2026 RIMAP Dues ($50) if not already paid. Please note the 2026 dues have increased from $40 to $50. If you have already paid your dues for 2026, you will maintain the $40 rate.

To pay for the classes and/or membership, either click the donate button on the website, or scan this code:

Questions? Please complete the ‘contact form’ below, and we will reply as soon as we can. Thank you.

Professional archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski teaching a RIMAP specialty class on "How to Measure A Cannon," and using 18th-century French bronze guns "Pallas" and "Tantae" as teaching aids. Photo by guest, © RIMAP 2015.