Two good days - that REALLY tired me out!
Yesterday and today, I helped at an archaeological dig. It was great... although I'm exhausted and very stiff today (starting when I got home - the strenuous activity combined with the hour-and-a-half (nonstop) drive home really did a number on my muscles).
We found a lot of very interesting things - stuff most people would consider "junk" but which was treasure to us because of all you could learn from it. I found some ceramics, but especially some flakes of chert and a stone crab claw (that we think might have been modified for wearing). The chert and claw were especially significant because the claw was a rare find in much of the archaeological sites in that area, and the nearest source of chert is many miles away by canoe. It had also been heat treated, suggesting that it was over 3-4 thousand years old (and maybe a lot more). Most of the tools we find in that area are made out of shells (and we found a lot of them). From that, we have a better idea of what was there.
The ceramics did put the age of the site at between 1400 and 2500 years old - and the chert suggested that it had been used and even occupied long before that.
I was quite impressed with the undergraduates they had working at the dig - those kids were dedicated and committed - and they also obviously knew both the importance of the research we were doing and how important archaeology can be. I think it's based on the way their school is run - less focus on grades and more on critical thinking and learning.
I did a lot of impromptu teaching and storytelling while I was there - had a blast! I also made some friends among my colleagues I met there - and possible connections for the future.
Plus I met one volunteer (already had a degree) who is looking to get into a graduate program. I am going to mention her to some of the professors in my department - she really impressed me and I think she'd be a good fit, especially with a couple of the professors I know rather well. She actually had some experience doing maritime archaeology!
It was two LONG days for me - I had to leave the house by no later than 7:15 to get there by 9 (grabbing a quite breakfast at McDonalds on the way), driving without any other stops. Then leaving the site by 4:30, getting home at 6. That's an eleven hour day - and on top of that I had a lot to do here and ended up with less than 6 hours of sleep each night (I need 8 to really do OK). So today I'm recuperating and taking care of stuff here that "slid" for a couple of days!
I did find out that my ability to stand for periods of time has increased significantly - and that my ability to walk hasn't changed much. I could stand for two hours or so at a stretch, before the pain got so bad that I had to sit down. A rest of 15-20 minutes was sufficient to get up and do a couple more hours. Like before, I found that I could walk without feeling any pain, and as I suspected, the weight of my pack wasn't a big factor now that I have the proper type (military surplus pack with a strap for around the waist and one across the upper chest, so that the weight was properly distributed between my hips/legs, my shoulders, and against my upper chest). The shoulder popped out a couple of times - but like usual, I could "manipulate" it and pop it back in. (I even met another volunteer who also has a torn rotator cuff, and he had the same experiences!)
We found a lot of very interesting things - stuff most people would consider "junk" but which was treasure to us because of all you could learn from it. I found some ceramics, but especially some flakes of chert and a stone crab claw (that we think might have been modified for wearing). The chert and claw were especially significant because the claw was a rare find in much of the archaeological sites in that area, and the nearest source of chert is many miles away by canoe. It had also been heat treated, suggesting that it was over 3-4 thousand years old (and maybe a lot more). Most of the tools we find in that area are made out of shells (and we found a lot of them). From that, we have a better idea of what was there.
The ceramics did put the age of the site at between 1400 and 2500 years old - and the chert suggested that it had been used and even occupied long before that.
I was quite impressed with the undergraduates they had working at the dig - those kids were dedicated and committed - and they also obviously knew both the importance of the research we were doing and how important archaeology can be. I think it's based on the way their school is run - less focus on grades and more on critical thinking and learning.
I did a lot of impromptu teaching and storytelling while I was there - had a blast! I also made some friends among my colleagues I met there - and possible connections for the future.
Plus I met one volunteer (already had a degree) who is looking to get into a graduate program. I am going to mention her to some of the professors in my department - she really impressed me and I think she'd be a good fit, especially with a couple of the professors I know rather well. She actually had some experience doing maritime archaeology!
It was two LONG days for me - I had to leave the house by no later than 7:15 to get there by 9 (grabbing a quite breakfast at McDonalds on the way), driving without any other stops. Then leaving the site by 4:30, getting home at 6. That's an eleven hour day - and on top of that I had a lot to do here and ended up with less than 6 hours of sleep each night (I need 8 to really do OK). So today I'm recuperating and taking care of stuff here that "slid" for a couple of days!
I did find out that my ability to stand for periods of time has increased significantly - and that my ability to walk hasn't changed much. I could stand for two hours or so at a stretch, before the pain got so bad that I had to sit down. A rest of 15-20 minutes was sufficient to get up and do a couple more hours. Like before, I found that I could walk without feeling any pain, and as I suspected, the weight of my pack wasn't a big factor now that I have the proper type (military surplus pack with a strap for around the waist and one across the upper chest, so that the weight was properly distributed between my hips/legs, my shoulders, and against my upper chest). The shoulder popped out a couple of times - but like usual, I could "manipulate" it and pop it back in. (I even met another volunteer who also has a torn rotator cuff, and he had the same experiences!)