www.kuraoka.com
(619) 465-6100
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Quick finder:
Home page | My archaeology résumé | Follow me on Insta | Family and
personal stuff | Print
this page
So why should we hire you?
Because I’m already doing the job for four San Diego cultural resource management companies, and volunteering as a trained archaeological field technician in California State Parks; I love it,
and want to do more of it! As an on-call field archaeologist in CRM, I’ve done everything from surveying on Palomar Mountain to construction monitoring downtown. I’ve been part of major local data recovery
excavations. I’ve recorded sites. I’ve worked on projects for developers, utility companies, and the city. I get my logs in on time. I know the job. Just show me how you like to do things, and I’m
ready to go.
But wait, your bachelor’s degree is in, what, Communications?
Yes, and that led me to a career in advertising, where I looked for patterns in human behavior in order to create ads that caused measurable changes in those behaviors. I was a practical anthropologist
for years, and became an expert in material culture. At a certain point, though, I turned away from using cultural insights to sell stuff, and toward using those insights to explore our
shared humanity. Which is why I returned to school and earned my associate's degree in Anthropology and a certificate (with highest honors) in Archaeology.
How about a field school?
Beyond my work experience, I completed a 16-week Field Excavation course, digging, screening, recording, and cataloging finds from Rancho Peñasquitos Adobe. I also did a 6-week Archaeological Field
Technician Volunteer training for the California State Parks, Colorado Desert District, and have done multiple field surveys. Professionally, I pretty much spent four solid months of 2022 excavating
on several San Diego data recovery and testing projects. Contact Dr. Tim Gross for an assessment of my field skills: (619) 388-3260 or ggross@sdccd.org.
What else sets you apart?
Because CRM involves working on construction sites, I independently took the OSHA 10 Construction Site Safety course (my OSHA card number is 14-006187251), as well as a 2-unit Construction Site Safety
class at City College that was basically the OSHA 30 course without the card. I am aware and safe around heavy equipment, trenches, and holes.
I was the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Susan M. Hector Scholarship in Archaeology at San Diego City College. I learn fast and well.
I've taken an online course in Forensic Archaeology that was essentially the Durham University/ICRC short course given to police departments, investigators, and Red Cross volunteers seeking victims of misadventure, crime, or genocide. Plus, a class on Human Osteology at City College. And, multi-day hands-on seminars in Flintknapping (Dr. Jeanne Binning) and Ground Stone (Dr. Joan Schneider). I’m pretty good at separating artifacts from rocks and human from non-human remains. Contact Dr. Tori Randall for a reference: 619-388-3748 or trandall@sdccd.edu.
Finally, I've taught orienteering (so I have old-school map and compass skills as well as the latest GIS), and have helped map caves. And, I’ve led hiking and backpacking trips in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. I am at home in the field.
Call me and let’s talk! (619) 465-6100. Or email me at . If the link doesn’t show up, then you have JavaScript disabled; just manually type john @ kuraoka-dot-com into your email program. Let’s work together, it’ll be great!