A Brand New World

    So far, two days have passed since the start of the field school. To say that the information I have learned was average would be a heavy understatement. Having a background in chemistry, I was confident that I would be familiar with the lab’s layout and the tools that we would be using. To say that I was taken aback would also be an understatement. I was so used to white lab coats, beakers, masks, and all but coming into lab, I was handed brushes, measuring tapes, and items I had never even heard of before. Going through the motions of each tool was a whirlpool of new information. Instead of clean white lab coats, I was knee deep in dirt, sweat on my face, and a measuring tape in hand plotting down area points of different. Washing bones and pieces of pipes long ago smoked. The hands-on processes, even though new to me, were a roller-coaster ride of fun. For once I felt alive doing lab work. 

First day of a whole new type of lab work

    It was also nice to partake in learning about the Fort St. Joseph site while in the Niles Museum. The complex and vast history of the area, the struggle for fighting powers, and the many people that helped undercover the mysteries of the fort itself. Something interesting was the vastly different artifacts found while digging at the fort site. I focused heavily on the animal bones found. I learned that most animal remains were white-tailed deer. This led me to the conclusion that many of these settlers relied very heavily on the local floral and fauna to survive. Another was looking at old sewing needles and thimbles. These old thimbles were made from materials like iron and tin and even though small, served as a huge trading item in early times. These were two items out of the many that I happened to learn about while at the Niles history museum. It has been only two days out of the four-week schooling period, but so much has been learned and obtained already. The bonding and latest information made me excited for future days here at the field school and hopeful for new opportunities that will be presented soon. 

Hopefully I'll update you all with new experiences soon,

Vyctoria S. N.