High school students can get hands-on experience with archaeology and research as part of the city’s excavation of Greenlawn Cemetery.
The new city of Indianapolis program, called Indy-ology, will welcome up to eight students interested in STEM fields such as archaeology, anthropology, medicine, information science and forensics. The paid internship will run 15 hours a week for 10 weeks this summer and feature a mixture of fieldwork, lab work and research guided by experts in the field.
Students who participate in the program will gain experience in archival research, genealogy, artifact analysis and osteology, among other topics. Their work will add to the efforts of a community advisory group, which was established in 2023 to research the cemeteries.
The city also hopes to attract students who are underrepresented in the related fields.
Four historic cemeteries known collectively as Greenlawn are located southwest of downtown at the former Diamond Chain factory site. The city’s Henry Street bridge project intersects with two of the cemeteries. The city’s contractors began excavating the area last year.
The city’s contractors so far have uncovered more than 250 grave shafts in the footprint of the Henry Street bridge project. A grave shaft can include the remains of one or more humans or none at all. The city anticipates releasing additional information about the number of individuals uncovered after additional research has been completed.
The city provides weekly updates on the number of grave shafts it uncovers on its website.
The larger part of the Greenlawn site, owned by Indianapolis developer Keystone Group, is not part of the city’s project. The future of that portion of the site remains unclear.
How to apply or learn more
The online application for the internship closes March 17.
Two information sessions are planned for students who are interested or their guardians:
- A virtual session will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25. Those interested can RSVP here.
- The in-person session will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Crown Hill Cemetery’s Waiting Station, 3402 Boulevard Place.
If you have questions about the program, email Sam Catchpole, Indy-ology project coordinator, at samantha.catchpole@indy.gov.
The program is organized by the Department of Public Works in collaboration with the mayor’s office and the city’s archive department.
The internship will receive funding from the Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank and Citizens Energy Group.
Emily Hopkins is a Mirror Indy reporter focused on data and accountability. You can reach them on phone or Signal at 317-790-5268 or by email at emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis or on Bluesky @emilyhopkins.bsky.social.
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