"Take your passion and make it happen!"

Posted by Inby from sdn-ar-001waseatP145.dialsprint.net (168.191.230.81) on Tuesday, May 14, 2002 at 2:09am :

In Reply to: Re: And will again! posted by Anejo Joe from 209.raleigh-01rh16rt.nc.dial-access.att.net (12.76.233.209) on Monday, May 13, 2002 at 10:45pm :

Great quote! A guy I knew was similarly asked for a tv news soundbite while he was skimming with his shovel. He said, "well, nothing makes your day like hearing that "clunk" when your shovel hits something"; just then his shovel DID hit something, and actually made an audible clunk. We watching were dumbfounded, the tv crew thought it was a set-up, but it wasn't. He was just lucky, I guess.
I envy your skill at eyeballing a level floor. Comes in handy when the level keeps popping off the line...
I assume you've checked out the SAA (www.saa.org). The next national meeting is in Milwaukee next spring; might be something you'd enjoy, and it's relatively near your area (moreso than when it's held in L.A. or Denver).
A not-so-bad book on field methods is Martha Joukowsky's "Field Archaeology". It's rather Classical Arch.-centric, but there's good discussion of use of transit, etc. Coincidently, she works a great deal in Jordan, including some work at Petra, site of Indy's Last Crusade grail. She doesn't mention it in her book, though!
You might find interesting a couple of books, if you've not yet gotten to them. Michael Schiffer's "Formation Processes of the Archaeological Record" is a very general and broad, yet detailed examination of the various ways that things get buried, erode, etc. etc. It should be available in your local university library. Some of what he describes seems obvious (e.g., windblown sand can bury sites), but in the fat book he achieves a systematic look at formation processes that is fundamental and very informative in understanding site dynamics. And it's a readily accessible read too (and the book's epigram is a quote from the song "Flashdance - how unpretentious can one get?).
Also check out Tom Patterson's workbook "The Theory and Practice of Archaeology". He's got educational and interesting exercises re: seriation, stratigraphy, chronology, etc. that are short and sweet, yet challenging and usefully applied beyond the scope of the exercise. In other words, good stuff!
Ok, I've rambled on too much and have to pack. Check out the books - Schiffer has a great bibliography too.

: What I really want from the dig is to learn Archaeology properly. Whether or not we find something is secondary. If I come away knowing the proper methods to use in the field, I will be very happy. If we make a significant find, so much the better. If we contribute a mass of data which can be used to interpret the site in its proper context, then that is just as good. This year I concentrated on using a shovel, finding artifacts in situ rather than in the screens, and being able to level a two meter quad to a "0" centimeter tolerance by eyesight alone. Next year I plan to get more involved in the documentation and record keeping.

: By the way, the best shovel to use is a certain Union Tool Razorback. They are hard to find in this area, but they are flatter and much easier to use to get an even surface. People who do find them, bring their own to the dig.

: "Last year I couldn't even spell "Archaeologist" and now I are one!" (Anejo Joe to the ETV camera man during an interview which will probably be cut.)

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Schiffer's book - Inby 2:24am 05/14/2002

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: Great quote! A guy I knew was similarly asked for a tv news soundbite while he was skimming with his shovel. He said, "well, nothing makes your day like hearing that "clunk" when your shovel hits something"; just then his shovel DID hit something, and actually made an audible clunk. We watching were dumbfounded, the tv crew thought it was a set-up, but it wasn't. He was just lucky, I guess. : I envy your skill at eyeballing a level floor. Comes in handy when the level keeps popping off the line... : I assume you've checked out the SAA (www.saa.org). The next national meeting is in Milwaukee next spring; might be something you'd enjoy, and it's relatively near your area (moreso than when it's held in L.A. or Denver). : A not-so-bad book on field methods is Martha Joukowsky's "Field Archaeology". It's rather Classical Arch.-centric, but there's good discussion of use of transit, etc. Coincidently, she works a great deal in Jordan, including some work at Petra, site of Indy's Last Crusade grail. She doesn't mention it in her book, though! : You might find interesting a couple of books, if you've not yet gotten to them. Michael Schiffer's "Formation Processes of the Archaeological Record" is a very general and broad, yet detailed examination of the various ways that things get buried, erode, etc. etc. It should be available in your local university library. Some of what he describes seems obvious (e.g., windblown sand can bury sites), but in the fat book he achieves a systematic look at formation processes that is fundamental and very informative in understanding site dynamics. And it's a readily accessible read too (and the book's epigram is a quote from the song "Flashdance - how unpretentious can one get?). : Also check out Tom Patterson's workbook "The Theory and Practice of Archaeology". He's got educational and interesting exercises re: seriation, stratigraphy, chronology, etc. that are short and sweet, yet challenging and usefully applied beyond the scope of the exercise. In other words, good stuff! : Ok, I've rambled on too much and have to pack. Check out the books - Schiffer has a great bibliography too. : : : What I really want from the dig is to learn Archaeology properly. Whether or not we find something is secondary. If I come away knowing the proper methods to use in the field, I will be very happy. If we make a significant find, so much the better. If we contribute a mass of data which can be used to interpret the site in its proper context, then that is just as good. This year I concentrated on using a shovel, finding artifacts in situ rather than in the screens, and being able to level a two meter quad to a "0" centimeter tolerance by eyesight alone. Next year I plan to get more involved in the documentation and record keeping. : : By the way, the best shovel to use is a certain Union Tool Razorback. They are hard to find in this area, but they are flatter and much easier to use to get an even surface. People who do find them, bring their own to the dig. : : "Last year I couldn't even spell "Archaeologist" and now I are one!" (Anejo Joe to the ETV camera man during an interview which will probably be cut.)

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