Zenya Lebar
The archaeology field school has been everything I had hoped it would be – the only thing I didn’t expect was for it to go by so fast! As a first-year student, who, before this course, did not have any experience in the field or lab, my learning experience has been filled with many new topics and skills, and it has been a lot to take in (which is not a bad thing!). At the pace this field school operates, over four weeks, I found myself moving around from site to site and unit to unit quickly as I gained new experiences and knowledge from each one.
I began as an Earthworm working on OA2 at BcGn-17. My first experience with field work began with picking up a shovel and taking away the topsoil of the unit. Though before even reaching 5cm down, James moved me to work on the well unit with Lorna, Hailey, and Suyang. I had just gotten the hang of using a shovel properly to excavate topsoil when I had a whole new challenge – dealing with a large feature containing many large rocks. As to not cause misunderstanding, I should say that I thoroughly enjoyed working on the well, and it was the highlight of the field school for me! I quickly progressed from basic shovel skills at OA2 to using the trowel, brush, and excavating multiple feet into the ground. The furthest I was able to get with the well was taking out the rocks from the middle and excavating the inside of it. Some of the heavy stones were a puzzle to get out, but we found a (definitely very safe) method of removing them by placing all four of our shovels underneath and using them as a lever to lift. This all took place over two days, and I was surprised at how fast we could uncover the well feature!
Before continuing, all students were required to plan the well. We used planning grids that covered the well and drew accurately each stone based on the grid squares. This was definitely a shift from the physical labour we had been doing over the past few days! As someone who enjoys art as a hobby, it was fun to experience this crossover between art/drawing and archaeology.
While the rest of the students planned the well, I switched to a different unit: the OA2-3 midden area. We had not been screening the soil that came out of the well unit, so at this new unit, I was learning how to screen effectively and efficiently. We were finding mostly ceramics, nails, glass, and bones. At this point, just over a week into the field school, I had learned to shovel, trowel, screen, plan, how to keep the walls and floors of a unit clean, and how to excavate a feature.
Bouncing around from project to project, I was now the only student who had not learned how to survey. So, yet another new skill I began to learn in the same week! Thankfully, both Jordan and Julie from the Rat Team loved surveying so much they decided to join me, and were fantastic at teaching me how to use the theodolite and total station (which we named Wilhelm). It took me a while to get a grasp on the process of making grids and squares with stakes and flags using the Pythagorean theorem, but I eventually got the hang of it. At this point, I was getting pretty good at switching gears and constantly learning something new. During this process, I also became an honourary Rat.
Following this, I joined the Rat Team at a new site: BcGn-15. During the first two weeks, I had gotten used to flat, grassless ground and damp, heavy soil. This site was a very different creature, with tall grass, trees, and sandy soils. I teamed up with Asha to excavate OA1, a possible extension of the midden area.
After bouncing from one unit to another, this turned out to be the longest I had been able to work on one unit. It was a very fun experience, and I grew very attached to our unit, which we named Marie Antoinette while slightly delirious after a long day of work in the sun. Again, I learned a whole new skill set tailored to this forested site. We needed a new technique when screening the Minecraft-esque chunks of dirt and grass that came up from the topsoil. Also, Asha and I alone now had full responsibility of taking down the unit accurately and keeping the walls and floor clean. OA1 changed frequently as we reached different levels, from artifact filled topsoil, through a rusty coloured transitional, and to subsoil. However, the subsoil held its own mysteries, with a sandy feature appearing in the shape of an hourglass. We pondered over whether it could be evidence of a drain or post, or something entirely different. Currently, the two of us are cross-sectioning it to understand the feature better (possibly another blog post will tell more of this interesting feature after we finish uncovering it!).
As I am writing this blog post, I realize how my responsibility has shifted throughout this field school. I began as a complete beginner, not even knowing how to use a shovel properly as an archaeologist. Though I very soon progressed to excavating a more intricate feature (the well), and eventually to managing a test unit and having the responsibility for excavating a feature (OA1). It is quite amazing that all of us students have been able to learn and achieve so much in such a short amount of time. Although it has been a lot to take in, I am grateful I had the opportunity to switch between so many projects and work with many different people. What I learned will be invaluable to me as I continue in archaeology, and I also now have such amazing memories of the experiences I have had and people I met.
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