Fieldwork in Archaeology

Week three of the spring semester of Archeology has been interesting to say the least.  Already scheduled to be a short week with MLK Jr. Day on Monday and an In-Service day on Tuesday, a once in a lifetime snow storm brought record snow to the Florida Panhandle and classes for the rest of the week were canceled.  Bay County received 4 inches of snow, and it was the first time there has been a snow accumulation here since 1989. 

Week four we began the fieldwork module and participated in our first dig at Captain's Corner trying to located any evidence of the homestead of  mysterious Capt. David Blood.  Our team included Mr. Bob Hurst, who works with the Bay County Historical Society.  Bob brought a binder that included Historical Maps, Property Appraisal Records, and Surveys of old St. Andrews.  We were able to get an Oral History of the area from Bob and a couple of the current property owners, including Buddy West (Great-grandson of the Panama City Founder) who owns the historic log cabin a few properties down from Captain's Corner.

The first grid line closest to the road, running from West to East, had already been laid out and marked when we arrived. After breaking off into teams we began our first Shovel Test, a test pit 50cm² by 1m deep.  Being so close to the old oak tree in the corner of the lot, we encountered a couple of large roots and at about a depth of 70cm we hit a black hard pan that was extremely difficult to excavate.  This test was pretty sterile, only containing a couple pieces of metal and shell.  We conducted a second shovel test in the next grid line closer to the house that contained some terracotta utilities pipe, charcoal, and a large wire nail.  

All in all it was a great introduction to fieldwork.  The weather could not have been any better for the first week of February, and the back drop of St. Andrews Bay is always amazing.  I look forward to getting back to the property next week and seeing what else we can find.  

                                                Pre-Dig Huddle 01Feb2025, Captain's Corner

                                                                          1st Shovel Test

These are the two articles that I reviewed for this assignment:   

Can Archaeology Dogs Smell Ancient Time?

Neimark, J. (2020, June 18) Can Archaeology Dogs Smell Ancient Times? https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/archaeology-dogs/

This article follows archaeologist Vedrana Glavas, who in 2014 discovered a 3,000 year old hill fort and necropolis in her home country of Croatia. The following year she teamed up with a dog trainer from a company that specializes in training "cadaver" dogs.  These dogs have been used to assist police with cold cases, and have been successful in locating human remains as old as 30 years.  Glavas had the idea to use these dogs to try and locate remains buried in the 8th century.  The dogs were successful, and even more, they were able to locate 6 unique graves that were more than 50 meters away from the rest.  

Being a dog owner, I can first hand attest to the power of a dogs nose but I had no idea they could detect 3,000 year old human remains.  I found it interesting that animal fat contains compounds called esters, 5 of which are unique to humans, and these esters remain in the decomposed "corpse wax" or "the fat of the graveyards" and these could be what dogs are detecting.  I find it very amazing how much of a significant role dogs have played throughout history, not only as companions and protectors for humans but also as tools.  

Will Bog Archaeology Fade Away?

Scharping, N. (2021, August 31) Will Bog Archaeology Fade Away? https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/bog-archaeology-climate-change/   

This article is about how climate change and archaeological excavation negatively impact bog sites around the world. These bogs are in essence natural preservation chambers staying perpetually wet, not allowing for oxygen to interact, and containing the right pH to preserve artifacts for thousands of years.  A study was conducted in 2020 that confirmed a pattern that archaeologists had noticed for years: modern finds in these bogs appear more weathered and beaten than previous decades.  It is feared that if the trend continues, these important sites could disappear in mere decades. 

The solution is definitely a ethical dilemma.  Do archaeologist continue to excavate these sites to recover important information and learn about our past, or do they conserve the bogs and leave them alone?  I feel this highlights the largest problem with archaeology in general: It is inherently destructive. Climate change is not something archaeologist can directly affect, however they can affect their conservation. But, if a particular bog is deteriorating to the point of losing any remaining artifacts I feel the only option would be to excavate what you can before they are forever lost.  Perhaps looking forward, new techniques can be developed to help preserve these fragile ecosystems.  

 

Archaeological Field Schools 2025:

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Field School

     https://www.fpan.us/projects/fieldschool/ 

    This field school is hosted by The Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) and occurs Jan 27-April 14, 2025 at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in Tequesta, Florida.  The school will be working the Jupiter Midden #2 which is a "multi-component site representing occupation from 6000 years ago through World War II."  The research goal is "to establish the presence or absence of archaeological material and stratigraphy outside the historic seawall along the south shore of the property and establish a date for the exposed brick feature."

Western Wyoming College Summer Field School

     https://ewc.wy.edu/academics/programs/archaeology-and-anthropology/fieldschool/

     This field school is hosted by Western Wyoming College and occurs June 23 - July 26, 2025.  It covers field and basic laboratory methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation of cultural materials.  Emphasis is placed on archaeological questions, scientific methods, heritage preservation and culture change.  The school will work two sites: Sunrise Mine and POWARS II Site.  Sunrise Mine is located in Sunrise, WY and was operated from 1898-1980 and was a principle source of iron for the Pueblo, CO steel plant. The POWARS II Site is likely the oldest red ocher mine known and one of the oldest Native American sites in Wyoming.  As long as 11,000 years ago, ancestors have been visiting the mine to extract the red pigment for face paint and ritual functions.