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When transitioning from citizen to archaeologist, there is a right
of passage that we each must go through: fieldschool. Here we learn how
to most effectively wield a trowel, how to use fancy words like
dendrochronology and microblade in casual conversation, and most
importantly how to excavate. I did my University of Oregon fieldschool at Thompson Mills State
Heritage Site, under the watchful eye of Dr. Julie Schablitsky. We
excavated amongst peacocks and blackberries, alongside Oregon's oldest
water-powered grist mill. While I witnessed many wondrous things at fieldschool (such
as an abundance of worms tied in knots in my unit, and my dig partner
Danny doing the human centipede dance at lunch), I also learned a few things. Here are some key lessons about excavation I've picked up over the years.
Archaeology is a team-sport.
If you don't have a sense of humor or are not willing to cram
into a 1x1 meter unit with another sweaty person wielding a sharp
trowel, archaeology may not be for you. Fieldwork requires
communication, cooperation, and collaboration in order to function
smoothly.
The Three R's of Archaeology: Reading, Recording, and wRiting.
- Reading: A lot of work goes into all stages of a project, but most archaeologists would agree that the better prepared you are before you step foot on the site, the better you will be able to get the most out of your time in the field. So read up and do your research!
- Recording: Trust me, you will not remember where that bit of clay pipe came from next week, or even by the end of a long day. Write down everything, make lots of sketches, and artifact doodles are good too.
- wRiting: An important part of the archaeologists job is writing reports, articles, or books on their research. An archaeological project is not truly done until the results are written up and available for other researchers or interested parties to read.
The Hypotenuse of a 1x1 meter (or 5x5 foot) square.
I'll be the first to admit it. I was one of those, "when am I ever
going to need geometry in the real world?" people. And, who'd have
thought, people actually use this stuff!?
Don't be scared, other than the odd statistical calculation, you
mostly just do a lot of measuring (which, by the way, is often done
using that wacky metric system). So go ahead, ask any archaeologist
what the hypotenuse is -- they will know! (or they have been digging very
crooked squares...)
Stratigraphy: it's not just for chocolate cake.
Archaeologists are always fretting about their sidewalls. Keeping your excavation unit tidy is more than just a source of pride,
it is also useful for getting a clean profile view of the soil
stratigraphy. Soil and other material accumulates over time on the
ground, and by observing and identifying the different strata, or
layers, you can start to piece together information about the site.
Dark organic layers can indicate human occupation, ash can be left from
a fire event, sediment from a flood, etc. So keep those walls nice
and straight!
Provenience is where its at!
Almost more important than the artifact itself is its context, or is where an artifact is located in space and time. Context can be established by recording the 3-dimensional placement, or provenience, of the artifact (usually depth, and horizontal measurements), and how it is associated with the other archaeological finds in the deposit. By establishing the context of archaeological material, you can figure out events or activities that led to the placement of the artifact in the archaeological record. So when your trowel hits upon that amazing projectile point, take a deep breath, grab your tape, and measure that darn thing before you pull it out!
Almost more important than the artifact itself is its context, or is where an artifact is located in space and time. Context can be established by recording the 3-dimensional placement, or provenience, of the artifact (usually depth, and horizontal measurements), and how it is associated with the other archaeological finds in the deposit. By establishing the context of archaeological material, you can figure out events or activities that led to the placement of the artifact in the archaeological record. So when your trowel hits upon that amazing projectile point, take a deep breath, grab your tape, and measure that darn thing before you pull it out!
Field school sounds like a lot of work.
I always wanted to go on a dig.
For Heather and John. Not as much work as you might think if your into it, once you learn how to do a dig it's a blast!! And you meet some real great folks. Just go on digs with local historical seocitys, most have specal events open to the public and for people with no experiance. Here in Vermont we have any archoleogy month with alot of special events,it's a great way to test the waters. And by all means if you get a chance go to any feild schools,or take any collage courses, do it for sure, you won't be disapointed. I started about 40 years ago just doing surface explorations in plowed feilds along waterways(get permission, and watch where you step) and be sure to record on a map where you found stuff and label your peices by some type of code so you can share the info later. Probibly most important DON"T disturb a site by digging "helter skelter" till you know what your doing!!! And even then DON'T!!! You can destroy the site info forever, it's not just about the artifact it's about the context of the site. I've gone to a few feild schools as I could afford to and done lots of volenteer work, taken some collage courses,and even worked for a summer with with a local company that specializes in surveys, and worked with the Forest Service as an archeaology assistant. I've amassed a colection of many thousands of peices, and even some from my ansestors home site,VERY EXCITING!! To me there isn't anything much more exciting than picking up a nice otter creek point that hasn't been touched buy human hands for over 6000 years!!! Man it just makes my heart flutter and my imagination run wild thinking about history of the peice. Get some books so you know what your looking for,the types of material in your area and talk to anyone that picks "arrowheads", contact collages for opertunities to learn more. One thing I can warn you about, don't get your hopes up of becoming anouther "Indiana Jones". It's next to impossible to break into the feild without alot of schooling and even more, lucky breaks, Good luck and I hope this has helped. Man, now I'm all excited, think I'll break out the kayak tomorrow and just go picking!!! If in the Vt. area e-mail and I'll share my collection and info with you and mabye you'll catch the fever too!! Best of luck
P.S. Rember sun screen and long tail shirts, nothing worse than "butt crack" sunburn, chuckel! chuckel! I'm sure the time team knows!!
My wife did 4 field schools: upstate NY; Beachy Head, UK; Peruvian Highlands; & Israel. She said the most important thing she learned was to pee down hill.