In archaeology, we are taught that “finding nothing is finding something”. Ever since hearing that phrase I’ve always had a higher appreciation of the simpler things. Especially when it comes to artifacts. This is why I’ve been so fascinated with coal during this field school. In the “Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists” it advises us that we should note the presence of coal but that it can be discarded onsite and doesn’t need to be kept as an artifact. We do keep a few pieces to help remember that it was there. But we never really take a deeper look at the beauty of coal.
Coal from BcGn-23
At BcGn-23, the South-East corner of the trench I worked on had a significant amount of coal present. I’d never seen so much coal. It almost created a whole layer in this corner. I questioned the existence of this a lot. To me it felt like an anomaly. Like the wall had burnt down. I soon learned that wasn’t the case. Prior to this field school I always thought that coal indicated that some form of major burning event occurred. Like the house burning down. However, in this case this was most likely the traces of the waste left after cleaning out a coal fireplace or furnace. Learning this helped me better understand how to interpret the context of what I’m digging.
At BcGn-15, coal opened my eyes to a new understanding of how preservation works. When I found it at BcGn-15 I thought I found a completely different material. This coal had a shiny appearance. Each piece was unique. One specific piece even had an iridescent appearance to it. They reminded me of obsidian. Prior to this discovery, I believed coal was just a material that was brittle and didn’t preserve well. Like the coal I found at BcGn-23. I was proven wrong. At a glance, I could see that the coal from both of these sites were in various stages of preservation.
Coal from BcGn-15
Through these observations, I was able to see these people of the past in a more personal way. I could understand the way they did things more. It allowed me to reflect on the past in a magnificent way. It taught me that even though something might seem insignificant it still can be valuable.
Coal from BcGn-23 and BcGn-15 showing various states of alteration
I have always been interested in mapping, but I am also known to be someone who is extremely directionally challenged. This field school has provided me with a great deal of valuable information on mapping and maintaining direction, and honestly what a coordinate actually means. I also had the opportunity to supervise and set up my own stage 2 survey on site BcGn-15, which I was very excited about. After recording the coordinates of all 106 shovel test pits, had to plot every single one of them by hand onto a map, or rather a very green piece of grid paper. At first, I found this task to be quite redundant and meticulous, but after completing it I began to see the value of hand drawing maps. It provides an excellent way to visualize clusters of positive test units, as well as a guideline upon which to expand for further survey.
This past week, James taught us how to plot coordinates into QGIS, a free GIS software. I had some previous knowledge of the software, but it was interesting to see it put to use on the work that I had organized. James then explained that we could use basic data from stage 2 survey like artefact counts to create distribution maps and find patterns within the basic field work performed. Throughout the process of our stage 2 survey, I was not able to fully comprehend how much information can be compiled with a bit of shovel testing and a few 1x1m test units. Overall, field school has taught me the value in mapping and recording all data observed.
The Summer Kitchen extension of the house may not have had any finds as amazing as the stamp or the ring, but it did produce some smaller interesting finds. One of the coolest finds we had was a skeleton key. It was difficult to find a date so it is not dated as of now but hopefully can be dated in the future.
Photo of Key from BcGn-23 OA1-D context 63
The key was found while using the screens when excavating context 63 on May 7th, 2024. Many of our interesting finds were from context 63. We found part of a drain pipe in the northeast corner of the trench in context 63. We only found a small piece of the pipe so the rest of it may be waiting to be discovered.
Photo of the drain pipe found at BcGn-23 OA1-D context 63
We found the ‘Forbidden Disk of Knowledge’, which is the name given to it by those who were excavating context 63. This find was especially interesting because we found it while removing a tree stump, and it was sitting perfectly flat under the trunk part of the stump. We were told that it could have been part of a wooden stovepipe damper which supports the Summer Kitchen evidence. Some other finds that supported the Summer Kitchen evidence were pieces of ceramics, nails, and bones from domestic animals. We found small pieces of ceramics in many different contexts such as 63,68, and 69. We found three deposits of ceramics (larger pieces that were found with small pieces in one small area) which contained pieces that could be put together in context 63.
Photo of one of the ceramic deposits from BcGn-23 OA1-D context 63
These were created as X-finds and had their locations mapped. We found many nails which were all of similar size and shape. They were also all architectural nails so they could have been used to connect wooden pieces of the Summer Kitchen extension. The bones we found were in fragments in most cases. For the past few days, we have been trying to identify the bone fragments to the bone and the species they came from. From the bones we were able to identify so far we have found mostly domestic animals and other animals that would have been eaten such as fish. Most of the bones have been from cows, sheep, and pigs. We also found a small amount of bones that had been cut. These bones were mostly cow ribs and were cut by humans. Another interesting find was the intact brick we found. We had mostly only been finding pieces of brick so it was cool to find an entire brick.
Photo of the brick found at BcGn-23 OA1-D context 63
Archaeology isn’t always as glamorous as it looks. Sure, finding ceramics, old bottles or even personalized rings is very exciting, but there’s much more to Archaeology than just digging. Lab work and analysis also play a very important role in the field, and it allows us to understand just when and where these artifacts came from. From chopping roots to bone cleaning, here’s a basic rundown of every component of archaeology I learned about in field school.
The Dirty Work: Of course, getting your hands in the dirt is a basic requirement in archaeology, and it can often be pretty tiring, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. Personally, I have always been more interested in the analysis aspect of archaeology, but I found being out in the field to be just as fulfilling. We learned about the different parts of a basic archeological dig that requires different strengths.
For starters, we did some stage 1 work. This stage is very simple and requires a survey of the area for possible cultural heritage value. This is usually done by walking through the field with a crew to see if there’s anything of potential. We didn’t spend too much time on this stage, because it’s uncomplicated and fairly basic.
To continue, there’s stage 2 work or testing pits. This involves digging small holes in 5m intervals to see if anything is interesting. This, in my opinion, is probably the hardest part of the job, and it requires a lot of muscle, energy and dedication. Shovelling hole after hole can often get tiring, but working with a good crew on a nice day is more than enough to keep you going.
My first 1x1m excavation at BcGn-23
Next, is stage 3, which requires 1x1m holes in 5m intervals. This, to me, is a little more exciting. In this stage, you start to find a lot more artifacts, which always keeps you alert. This stage also requires you to dig straight walls and smooth floors, which I found to be a very fun but tedious task. For those who like to clean and organize, this is where the fun begins.
Also, we did a stage 4 dig, which is a further expansion of stage 3. Here, you can dig larger, more invasive holes to reveal whatever is on the site. For us, it meant exposing old rock wall foundations and cleaning them up to map them. This is probably my favourite stage because you get to have a clean pit, find artifacts and expose different features.
Pete, Brooklynn and I standing in our finished Stage 4 unit at BcGn-23
Finally, when all is said and done, you need to backfill the holes you’ve created. Whether it’s stage 2 or stage 4, you have to clean up the work you’ve done. This is probably my least favourite component of digging because you’ve got to shovel all your dirt back into the pit. This is also the most arduous task, and if you’re working in a large pit say, a stage 4, it can often become very daunting and tiresome.
Time for the Lab: Lab work was, as expected, my favourite thing to do in field school. It was so fun to wash, analyze and catalogue all of the different things we found, and I never got tired of it. Working in the lab was so interesting because once you cleaned up an artifact, you could find out more about it and possibly figure out what time period it came from. There are also a few different steps to lab work that we got to learn.
First, you’ve got to wash the things you found. This meant using a soft-bristled brush (we used toothbrushes) and water to clean off the years of dirt and grime build-up. With so many artifacts, it may seem like a lot of work, but I liked to listen to music while I cleaned, and it was actually a very satisfying job.
Some of the artifacts I washed spread out on a drying rack
After the artifacts dried, it was time for primary analysis. Here, we’d sort the artifacts based on material type. Special things, like glass or nails which don’t really require further analysis, can be sorted right then and there! You can sort window glass from bottle glass based on colour and shape, and nails can be sorted by cut and use. All the artifacts with the same material and use would go in a bag with a tag describing what it is, where we found it, and how many there are. This process would continue until all the items are sorted. Then, each individual bag gets put in a larger bag which holds all the artifacts from that specific context and location.
Finally, we also learned about cataloguing and further inspection in secondary analysis. This task was filled with many questions and surprising answers. In one case, with much help from Kate, I was able to date and place a piece of ceramic from Glasgow! We used forms to write down all the available information we knew about a piece, which Kate will later use to identify our artifacts.
All in all, I had so much fun here at Trent. I have learnt so much and made many unforgettable friendships! I discovered my love for archaeology and learned many skills which will help me to pursue it as a career. I hope to come back to Peterborough next summer for the 4000Y course and see everyone again. Let this be a lesson to always put yourself out there and try new things, even when they might seem scary because you might just have an amazing experience!
Understanding the tools accessible to you on a site is essential to working as efficiently and accurately as possible. There is a lot that goes into picking the right tool for the right task, and learning what each archaeological utensil available to you can do can save you a lot of time and frustration.
When I first began working in the field this season, the work seemed trivial. Digging holes, dusting rocks and moving sod? Easy! I was an overconfident layman, and I was ready to take archaeology by storm. I soon realized how meticulous the work of an archaeologist is, taking notes from Kate and James. For instance, on my first day on site BcGn-23 with my now friends Brooklynn and Xander, we made considerable progress. We began to quickly realize that we were far surpassing other units as well. This flash in the pan success did not sit right with us, so we began to investigate why. One of the first things we noticed was that our sod cuts were almost five times thicker than anyone else’s. We had been essentially digging up entire layers of the stratigraphy without a second thought. With the help of 3 spade shovels, we had entirely removed large chunks of sod, as well as half of the layer beneath, into comically gigantic Minecraft-esque dirt blocks. The process had aged my back about 15 years and nearly broke the handle of my shovel. I later learned that the square-head shovel was designed to cut the sod into perfect squares, and the sod lifter was a tool one could use to cut thinner pieces for easier removal. This is when I learned a good rule of thumb for working on site; if the task you’re trying to complete is too difficult, you’ve probably chosen the wrong tool.
Another important lesson I can thank Kate for is how to use the hand broom. You can imagine a hand broom as an old wicker broom without the handle, allowing for it to be used similarly to a paintbrush. When an archaeologist finishes a unit, it’s important to get the floor of the unit as clean as possible. This allows for more accurate sketching of the site and better documentation. There tends to be a lot of loose dirt on the floor of the unit once you’re complete, and it can be really frustrating trying to scoop it all out. That’s when I made the connection in my head: brooms are good for sweeping, I should use the hand broom to clean the floor of my unit! I began working away, sweeping the walls, the floor, and the features. I felt like the Snow-White equivalent of archaeology, blissfully tidying my unit without a thought. Kate had made her way over and observed me working and quickly pointed out the problem. She explained to me that if I was dusting the walls, the floor, and the loose dirt, I was essentially mixing all the dirt from different layers I had dug into. With my paintbrush in hand, I had essentially blended much of the loose stratigraphy into an ambiguous new shade on the floor of my unit. This made it very difficult to discern where the new layer began and could significantly mess with a lot of documentation later. Kate said that I should instead be using the trowel to scoop the dirt out, not just sweep it around. The brush should be used to dust off features and only when a trowel could not complete the task.
A trowel I used on site BcGn-23.
Knowing when to use your tools is important, but an archaeologist also must know how to use them correctly. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of efficiency and working quickly, but I’ve learned that a lot of work in the field can benefit from a steady and patient hand. For instance, the screens on site used to sift through dirt for artifacts are supported by two legs, making it easy to pile upwards of 3 buckets worth of soil and sift through them with relative ease. I had become accustomed to almost overloading my screen and sifting through large piles of soil. When working on test pits however, the screens are much smaller and are not held up by two legs, allowing for them to be carried with you while you move to different units. An archaeologist is required to hold and support the weight of this screen while also sifting it, which means that it is not optimal to just pile as much dirt as you can onto it. Before working on test pits, I had my fair share of experience sifting and was comfortable with my routine. On my first test pit, I placed my screen on the ground, dug my hole, and piled every bit of rock and soil onto it as much as I could. As I prepared to lift it, I felt a sharp pain in my back. I could hardly get the screen off the ground, let alone sift through the heap of dirt. I had to force myself to be patient with the amount of dirt I was accumulating at a time, and my muscles were thankful for it.
The larger screen, supported by two legs.
The smaller, more mobile screen used for test pits.
I learned a lot about working on a site these past few weeks, and I also learned a lot about myself and my working style. I learned that hard work does not always mean fast work, and it takes time to do something right (especially in archaeology). If I had to sum up what I had learned into advice for someone going into field school next summer, I’d say you should know your tools, know your limits, and try not to work for the sake of being done quickly, there’s always a new hole that needs digging!
