Artifact Washing and Rapid Research

Washing Day

As seems to always be the case, I called an artifact washing day today because of a rainy weather forecast.  As you can see from the photo down below, that's not what we ran into for most of the day.  I've convinced myself, though, that the site really needed to dry out.

Hard Rubber Button

Bottle Neck

Stone Floor of Feature where Bottle Uncovered

Beautiful, Sunny Blue Skies

Regardless, in addition to washing our assemblage to date, the students also spent much of the morning engaged in some very preliminary, rapid-fire research on two artifacts that possess diagnostic characteristics.  At the moment, both are pointing toward a mid to late 19th Century occupation for the site.  One hard rubber button with a readable (though very tiny) "Goodyear" and "N.R. Co." and one bottle neck both sit in that time frame.  We've also recovered somewhere around 50 small, whiteware sherds, but so far, they don't seem to indicate much temporal information other than post-dating 1820.

Week 1

On Tuesday, we finally got going after our rain delay, so only a total of three days in the field. So far, we've completed all the shovel test pits of the smaller of two areas we'll be testing this season. Some artifacts have been recovered, but no unknown features were found. Next week, we'll begin excavating the two visible surface features.

Class on the first day, clean and awkwardly taken by surprise with unexpected photo.

First shovel test of the day.  Here, I'm trying to impart good technique.

Examining first potential artifact of project

Feature 1 with surface accumulation cleared (twine borders funky due to lack of good spots for nails)

First run through with screening.

Washout

Today became quite the bummer.  June 4 was supposed to be the first day of the first SUNY-Orange archaeological field project, but the rain would not cooperate.

The rain was falling as I was driving my kids to their daycare, but seemed to lighten up as I dropped them off.  But, driving south correlated with increasing rain intensity...almost like the project site was a magnet for it.

All the students showed, or called, but the rain was just too much.  The students and I held a quick meeting under the awning of a Rite Aid and then I drank too much coffee.  Thankfully, the rain has continued since I made the weather cancellation call. 

Here's hoping for better luck tomorrow.

Setting Out the Grid

Feature 2 in Locus A

The groundwork has been laid for next week.  We will begin our excavations in the smaller of two areas, one that I've labeled Locus A.  There we will excavate 18 systematically placed shovel test pits (and likely a few judgmental as well) around at least two features.  Additionally, we should excavate two or more 1x1 meter excavation units near the features.

Too Awesome Not to Post

This image has little direct relevance to the field class that begins next week, but it's just such an awesome artifact that I had to post it. In graduate school, I worked on a couple of Hohokam sites, so their material culture is near and dear to my heart, though I have to say that I was never aware of this one.

Here's the caption that accompanied the image on the Arizona State Museum's website:

This Hohokam rabbit net, about 165 ft long by 3.6 ft wide, is made of knotted human hair! This photo is from 1967 (by Helga Teiwes) and shows E. Leavitt and R. Medieiars laying it out on the sidewalk adjacent to the museum.

Feeling Soil Texture

This video will likely seem strange and boring to you field students right now, but it will serve as a good reference as we go through the season.

Equipment is arriving.  Your $50 is being put to good use.  June 4 is a go.