So much more than archaeology...

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I have just completed the sixth day of the dig, which means I am almost halfway done. I can't say it's easy, but it definitely is enjoyable. Every now and again I will sit back and take a break from the pick-axe to think, " I am sitting where Romans stood. I am digging in their dirt. I am discovering their pottery, their glass, their tools, their food, and I can look down into a grave and see their bones. This is what I dreamed of. This is what I came for." Before this gets too boring and mushy, I'll just explain exactly what it is that I am doing- and why I am doing it. 

For years I have been interested in the idea of archaeology and learning more about the past. Only recently have I acted on this, though. A professor of mine planted the idea of doing a field school in my head and once it was there it definitely wasn't leaving. I applied and was accepted for this field school on the island of Menorca (one of the Balearic Islands in Spain- perhaps you've heard of Ibiza?), and that is particularly where I am writing to you from. I wilÅ‚ try to make a long story short and sum up what it is that a field school encompasses. 

The days are divided and a lot of focus is placed on us learning the basics of archaeology and how to work on a dig. We leave our residence at 7:30 am and drive to the site, we dig for a few hours until 11:30 am, and then head to the location of the lab. After lunch we do a number of things including but not limited to: cleaning pottery, labelling pottery, dividing pottery based on style, use and origin, and having small lectures to learn more about the items we are working with. At 3:30 pm we drive back to our residence and have some supper. The rest of the night is for us to enjoy. For every seven days of digging, we get two days off to explore. The site that we are working on is actually outside of the roman city of Sanisera. It is an early Christian basilica that is surrounded by a necropolis. What is really interesting is that the bodies aren't arranged like usual (facing east to the rising sun), but they are actually arranged to all point in towards the basilica. To make this even more interesting, inside of the apse of the basilica a tomb has been found. Our archaeologists are thinking this might be the tomb of someone so important, perhaps a saint, that people have pilgrimaged from around the Mediterranean to be buried near.

We are in the process of removing the top layer of the site and are trying to find the basic structure walls of the basilica, and at this point have even found an older roman structures walls slightly underneath the basilica's wall. Our finds include lots of pottery shards, some metal objects including slag made of a number of different metals, some beautiful iridescent blue glass, and a bunch of animal bones. I seem to have a knack for finding animal teeth. Just outside of the basilica there are a few graves being excavated, and our newest addition is a skeleton of a woman we have fondly named Maxine. Maxine is strange skeleton, because her arms are laying across her body instead of by her side, her coccyx is vertical as if she were sitting up (but she's definitely lying down) and she initially appeared to be headless. Turns out a piece of her jaw was actually on her shoulder, and part of her skull was laying closer to her feet. Oh Maxine, why must you be such a trickster? 

Basically, I am having a really great time. The excavating is definitely not easy. I have lots of calluses and blisters, bug bites, sunburns, sore back and legs, possible dehydration, and very heavy eyelids. However, I wouldn't want to be any where else in the world at this moment. I have the ability to stand in once place, look down, and see a skeleton from over 1000 years ago. That is unique. That is history. That is what I came for. 

Yours truly, Menorca - September 2015

Interiors, Menorca - September 2015

Early Christian basilica, Menorca - September 2015

Sunset strolls, Menorca - September 2015

Oh! Canada, Menorca - September 2015

A good angle, Menorca - September 2015

How to get a good angle, Menorca - September 2015

Ciutadella, Menorca - September 2015








Location: Ciutadella de Menorca Ciutadella de Menorca

Comments

  1. Terry16 September 2015 at 17:29

    Everything sounds soooo amazing Ali!! But don't make it too enticing!! Or us old girls will be joining you😱😱😱😱💋💋

    ReplyDelete

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