Much has happened since the last time I wrote a blog. My last blog was during the first week of field season through orientation week. I remember writing about how different the archaeology labs felt to what I was used to, which were chemistry and biology lab settings- a lot of sterile environments and nice white lab coats. Here, our uniform is dirt! I have learned a lot since then. I thought that the labs during orientation were super different, but I was in for a treat in the next few weeks.
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The Fort St. Joseph field school crew,
just before going canoeing out on the river. |
There was a lot I picked up from being in field school, like how to properly clean up a unit for unit pictures and how to keep your walls clean. Also, it humbled me a lot. Working outside for about 8 hours a day, through rain and sun, with hard manual labor really broke me down and built me up again. I think every day I was covered in dirt. Whether it be from digging in my unit or from wet screening, I was always covered in dirt. It made me realize how much I love showers! I feel like I have a stronger work ethic now than I did before. Overall, it was super fun. I do not think I have had fun like that in years. There are a lot of memories I created during this time, and hopefully I can keep in touch with everyone who attended this season. This experience has sent me in a new direction and I am grateful that I got to experience so many new things.
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Tyler, Lonnie, and I at the kids' crafts early in
the morning during the Open House. |
My favorite part of the field school was the open house. I loved talking to all the new people wanting to see what we were doing at the site. At first, I really thought I was going to fumble it, but I think I got comfortable with people very quickly. I really liked seeing people who had been coming out to the site for years, and people who did not even know this place existed before that weekend. What we were doing can be considered “public archeology”, which is a term I learned about over the last few weeks. After experiencing it, public archeology is worth it and important to the public. I say this because I saw the wonder in people’s eyes when they came up to talk to me. People loved to ask questions about the site and its history. A lot of people wanted to know their hometown's history and background, being from Niles themselves. I think since we are digging in their city, it’s only right to share with the public what we are doing here. Especially since it pertains to their town’s history. Another positive aspect were the kids. The kids loved the wet screens, the sand screening area, and learning about archaeology. Interactions like these are important. This is a great learning experience for younger people that could potentially get them interested in this field. Personally, archaeology was something I was interested in as a kid, so having the opportunity to possibly inspire new learners was amazing.
Giving back to the community was deeply important, and I value the knowledge I could spread and the people we inspired along the way. Overall, the stuff we do is so valuable, and having so much support for us is amazing. I am hoping for a good next season for future learners.
-Vyctoria
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