- Is it really like Indiana Jones?
- What amazing stuff have you found?
The answers are easy. To the first question - NO. The answer to the second is a good blog entry and it sticks to the top 5 list fever going around...
My Top 5 Archaeological Finds (in no particular order)
2nd year undergrad
I worked at a Stone Age site called Olieboomspoort. It's near the Waterberg in 
the northern Highveld. After days of excavating nothing but coprolite and nearly insignificant clumps and slowly realizing that I will never be a Stone Age archaeologist, I unearthed the most beautiful stone tool I had ever seen. It was a small bright green scraper that had been frequently used and lovingly retouched. It was perfect. After thousands of years in the dirt, you could still see how it was held and how effective it would have been.
3rd year undergrad
I was able to work at the now heritage Iron Age site, Kaditshwene (kud-it-chweni), also far in the north. Iron Age sites are always a lot more exciting because the things you find are a little more "modern" and large scale. I tackled a 1m x 1m square early one morning and constantly found scattered beads and polished stones but nothing fantastic. Now you have to imagine brushing away sand for hours in the hot african sun and only being rewarded with a teeny tiny bead. It can get disheartening! But at around 3pm I noticed some unusual colours - pink, green, purple. Strange since I was making my way through 50cm of brown soil. I started brushing more carefully and saw that the colour spread over almost my whole square. It was a complete burnt mudbrick floor. Now I know this might not seem exciting to you but for an archaeologist it's awesome. These floors just don't survive hundreds of years!
Also 3rd year
I found an amazing polished bone tool at Olieboomspoort later that year. It was about 10cm long and fairly thin and almost looked like one of those really fat leather needles. It was associated with at least 50 ostrich eggshell beads, perfectly round and sculpted and some not so sculpted
yet. It was as if someone had left their afternoon activity of making themselves a bead bracelet or anklet for us to find.
Honour's year
I worked on a few different Iron Age sites in the Limpopo Valley, near the Botswana border. It was here we battled with mole-like rodents destroying our perfect excavation squares and dealt with elephants walking through our site. The elephants were scary, the rodents were just annoying.
It's a famous area with famous sites. You might know one - Mapungubwe. It's where archaeologists found the golden rhino. We excavated in this area and found the most beautiful blue, green, red and yellow glass beads. They are small, round or rectangular, delicate and bright. These tiny, handcrafted beauties made with imported glass provide us with evidence of ancient trade with Asia and the Middle East.
Same year, same area
About 1m down I found a bone. It was a tiny phalanx (finger). As I carefully removed more and more sand, I found a skull cap and realized I was uncovering a burial. It was of a child, approximately 5 years old or so. It was the first time I had encountered human remains like this and was quite unnerved. I felt like I was intruding and I felt quite sad! But I got over it. I found a lot of associated grave goods that were just amazing. Bracelets and necklaces made from glass and ostrich eggshell beads and clay figurines that looked like toys. This find made such an impact on me and it is what led me to the work I do today.
18 comments:
I dont have the paientence needed to sift through sand for hours. If I was to do that type of work I would want to be the guy who finds the next Egyption tomb or something cool like that. But it would have to be in a cool climate where they have drink service and a pool.
The kids skeleton sounds kinda weird, but I guess thats part of the job huh? We find American Indian scraper type tools and arrow heads once in a while in our area. Its pretty neat but not nearly as old as the stuff your finding.
That's amazing! Wow. It must be so rewarding to think you're contributing to the study of history.
I forget what you do sometimes! It must be really rewarding to be the person who discovers something that has been covered for thousands of years.
I was a dumb first-year not too long ago, but evidently your first-years are much dumber than the average university student.
I am definitely going to get over my fear of all things dead with you!
Interesting position the child is buried in.
Maybe you can help me find where my stupid dog buries his bones.
i also noted the position... foetal.
looks very at piece, but also looks humongous for a child. geez, that was a hefty one huh?
Question: What's the latest era you can dig stuff up from and still call it "archaeology"?
Those are so cool. You often see archaeologists unearthing bones and wonder how they must feel - can they distance themselves from the life and the person that they're disturbing. It must have been an eery feeling I imagine?
Polyman2: Sorry! I am an archaeologist, not a bloodhound so I can't help you. Unless... your dog leaves me some clues or historical records.
Neil: Sorry! I should have mentioned it in my blog entry. The skeleton pic is not of a child. I don't have a pic of the skeleton I uncovered but this was the closest pic I had for what I saw - position and placement.
Question: What's the latest era you can dig stuff up from and still call it "archaeology"?
30 years is a good start for anything archaeological. But something that young usually falls under 'historical archaeology'. When you get into 100's of years, it becomes plain old archaeological.
NIEL: Sorry! Spelling mistake with the name. I have tpyo fingers. It won't happen again.
wow.. thats really nifty -- do you ever get to keep some of the stuff you find?
like, the unimportant finds? do you have a bracelet of ancient beads?
must be amazing.
Neko: No, you are not allowed to keep anything, not even bead number 1 345 989 that looks exactly the same as bead number 7.
Seriously, I think what you do is so cool. I mean you are unearthing things buried over time. To think your the first one to lay eyes on it since it it died or whatever.
I am an amateur treasure hunter-
metal detector and all, but what you do is important.
that's fascinating, wendy. which area of archeology would you like to specialise in?
This was a highly enjoyable post. You've actually done so much! I I wanted to become a palaeontologist when I was very young. But the thought of digging in hot, dusty places was not that appealing. Now I get to sit in an air conditioned lab all day, but the things I dig up are to small to see with the unaided eye.
Ancient beads are cool. Bones are creepy, when, erm... "unfossilized".
Arcadia: I am busy specialising in forensic archaeology. In short, I am currently doing a study on hunter-gatherer dentition and also work with burials.
very sweeeeet post! I am so envious of your job. I know it's not all fun and glamor, but look at the rewards! I am busy beyond belief right now with school starting up, but thanks for your advice on the blog thing.
Hi Wendy! This is great! One of my lessons this year is on artefacts and since I haven't done this lesson before, I am thinking of ways how to make it more engaging to children. I'd love to hear your ideas ;-)
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