the New Republic Archaeological Corps: groundwork for a new persona

As satisfying as it can be to gear up and authentically get out in one’s kit, I have to admit that the brainstorm/planning and obligatory research phases might be my favorite parts of the reenacting hobby. Taking the kernel of an idea, following rabbitholes, and seeing what can evolve out of it can really get my creative juices flowing…especially if it’s working towards a kit that’s not something we’ve seen a thousand times before! It’s one thing to say, ‘I want to put together a Rebel Fleet Trooper kit’ and then buy/sew the requisite black vest, blue shirt, gray pants, and boots, and buy/craft the swoop helmet and blaster pistol. It’s another thing altogether to ask, ‘I wonder how the average Corellian dressed?’ and then research, make a plan, and make it come alive!Back when I was just getting my foot in the door and figuring out my AgriCorps Jedi persona, as I researched the other Service Corps branches I came across reference to a ‘New Republic Archaeological Corps’. Since I have a background in archeology, (I almost got my BA in it but wound up going for general Anthro instead), I was certainly intrigued. At the time though, I put the idea on the backburner, thinking if nothing else it could be a good way to explain the shiny U-DIG-IT folding trowel on my belt kit.
Years later, after putting together an AgriCorps Jedi, and a civilian Rebel persona for both Sulon and Naboo, I wondered if it wasn’t time to return and dig a little deeper into that NRAC mention. I’ve already been channeling my crafter passion into replicating (or planning to replicate) artifacts from various in-universe cultures, and thought it might be nice to have a persona to better explain my collection. While part of the background for my Naboo Rebel impression was that he was a xenoarcheology student-turned-partisan, the timeline issues for that persona (the ‘present’ was 1 or 2 BBY) and the lack of information for Imperial-era Naboo meant that I had a lot to extrapolate.

Unfortunately, it seems that the New Republic Archaeological Corps isn’t much more than a mention…everything we know can be summed up in a few sentences, and it doesn’t seem like it is ever directly depicted in a prose source:

“This branch of the New Republic was formed in the wake of the destruction of Emperor Palpatine’s clones on the planet Byss [10.5 ABY], after Luke Skywalker discovered the Ysanna civilization on Ossus. The New Republic established the NRAC to assist various university-based groups in the excavation of historical sites like Ossus, so that artifacts and information that were uncovered could be preserved for the rest of the galaxy. Additionally, any new discoveries of information on the former Jedi Order was to be documented and provided to Master Skywalker for use as he strove to rebuild the Jedi Knights. The NRAC became especially active during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy, when it became imperative that the Jedi have every advantage they could in fighting the alien invaders.” (The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: Volume 2: 375).
[The mission to Ossus involving the NRAC took place in 27 ABY.]

However, the potential timeline for this impression actually lines up pretty serendipitously: I’m toying with anchoring around the first time I saw A New Hope at age eight or nine, which I think of as a proxy for hearing news of the Death Star’s destruction in-universe. Therefore, as a 31 year old, who was 8 in 0BBY, I’d be born in 8BBY and the ‘present’ would be ~23 ABY. That gives me all of the GCW, plus most of the classic EU open for interpretation, and in a year or two I can start bringing in Yuuzhan Vong invasion elements.

While the New Republic Archaeological Corps is the perfect organization for realistic/educational interpretation, in terms of description or material culture we have Nothing to go on. I have some ideas I want to sketch out, but how do you imagine a member of the NRAC would be equipped or look like?

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