Field School Day 2 Damp and Overcast at 51° Today I screened slumped dirt from north of Unit 14. We found several rocks indicative of flintknapping as well as ceramic debris, supporting the idea that this location was used by peoples throughout several time periods. However, during the continued removal of sand and back dirt from the supporting retaining wall of Unit 14, a sizable collapse happened taking a majority of Unit 14 (net yet excavated) and Feature 4 out of context. Through the slumped dirt of this collapse a ceramic pipe bowl fragment was found but could not be dated or have supporting context. After this collapse I shifted into a different group to help with the coordination and creation of new unit to expand the block: Unit 15. Prior to excavating, Dr. White had us practice grid plotting in 1x1 and 2x2 meter plots so that we could get a feel for setting up a new unit and the proper technique of lining the unit with string. It was nice to have a practical use of basic mathematics and using the Pythagorean theorem in modern context with the measurement and use of hypotenuse to make sure our grid was set up properly. From there Sami and I began excavating the southeast quadrant (1x1) of Unit 15, which Sami had set up and verified with Sara. We used the field laser (datum) to measure our depth to 40 cm below datum (still within the plow zone). We took turns shoveling and sifting through plow zone dirt in hopes of find superficial evidence of early peoples, but unfortunately nothing was found in this area. We will continue to work on this and create deeper layers in following visits.
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Student Blog (2020)Blog posts written by the students of the 2020 Broad River Archaeological Field School Archives
April 2020
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