Keep On Trowelling

an archaeology blog

[bonekicker28]

International women's day 2018

I've spent International Women's Day 2018 reflecting a lot on the life i have... how my rights have changed, especially in comparison to 100 years ago, and still in some countries today. It is now more for others that i fight for equality.

It is easy for me to focus on the strong women in my life. There have been many, both directly (my great aunt - who has taught me to be strong in the face of illness) and indirectly (Carrie Fisher.. for showing me a kick ass princess). These women made me who i am today and helped me overcome challenges.

When the careers advisor said, only a decade ago: "you cannot be an archaeologist... it is not an appropriate career for a woman"

i found it in me to say "i'll do it anyway" mostly because of the strong figures i had around me... and ok, a lot of stubborness.

But this time i want to focus on the men in my life. Sure i've known some assholes... abusive boyfriends and sexist bosses... but there's (at least) two men who have been amazing.

The first is my partner. He is one of the best feminists i know, he has taught me to respect myself, to speak up and to question the inner patriarchy and distortions that can often be found so deep within me. I have known him now for just over six years and i am truly not the same woman as before. (It's probably his fault i'm such a militant feminist... so you have someone to blame! ;) )

The second is my dad. He's always there for me, has always supported me but more than that... i clearly remember being 16 and my dad going through hell at work because he'd promoted a woman to senior engineer over her two male colleagues.

They accused my dad of sleeping with her. There was an investigation and he had to prove he wasn't. I remember the paperwork... the guys had tossed in their cvs and personal statements... hers was the best. But still my dad had to justify that. And he did.

I can remember his anger about the whole thing; he ranted for a while about how unfair it was that this woman was the best candidate for the job but it didn't matter... everyone just assumed.

I guess what i'm trying to say, in this long-winded ramble, is that it takes many people to make equality. It is only with the men on board too that we can achieve true equality.

[crypticdatesuggestions]

Date someone who is a little too skilled at finding bones in the woods.

[bonekicker28]

Winters in Archaeology

It's that murky half-dark when you first arrive on site, the sun is still lurking somewhere near the horizon and a freezing mist is lingering over a frost-covered field. Dotted as far as the eye can see are shallow trenches, cut through the top soil and exposing the orangey-brown natural... Here and there a slightly darker brown hints at a pit or a ditch waiting to be excavated. You and your team spread out across the landscape. You try not to think about the cold but it's tough... At minus 4celsius you can feel it seeping through your clothing slowly. You reassure yourself it'll be alright once you get moving. You swing the mattock and wince as it hits frozen clay; sending a jerk, like a shock up the nerves in your arm. You know you have to do it again and again to expose the ditch. You try not to think about it... You reassure yourself it'll get easier below the first few frozen inches. The movements keep you warm but an hour in and you cannot feel your toes. As they warm up over tea break they become painful. You shuffle over to the portaloo with another pair of leggings and socks... Underneath your layers already your legs are lobster red and numb, your feet angry and red. There's a pain in your chest from the cold air and you shiver constantly. Still the movement of mattock and shovel keep your core warm. You've given up on your feet... There's no way you can keep them warm in steel toecap boots. Even at midday the sun is low... It's at a weird angle and making it hard to see the archaeology but at least it is sunny you tell yourself. It could be like last week with the high wind and the rain, that was horrible... Or the week before that with the snow. Snow?! Who would've thought! You're nearing the edge of your feature. You can see the silty dark brown fill (with nothing in it for your efforts!) giving way to that orangey brown clay natural. This is the least favourite bit... Now you must stop mattocking and shovelling and begin to trowel. Get it looking nice for a photo... You lose the feeling in your fingers. The light is beginning to fade... You glance at your watch: 3pm?!?! You look back up at the low hanging sun and curse it with the core of your being. The mist is beginning to reform and the ground beginning to re-freeze. Archaeology in winter... When the stubbornness in your soul goes head to head with the stubbornness of the season.

[bonekicker28]

Pompeii

I had the amazing opportunity to spend the summer of 2017 in Pompeii, Italy.  An archaeologist’s dream!!  It was a site to tick off of my bucket list - after all, it was one of the sites that inspired me to become an archaeologist all those moons ago.

I arrived on June 1st and the first thing that hit me was the heat; how was I ever going to dig in this?! I’d dug in Bulgaria before... in 42 degree celsus heat but this was a different heat, even at 28 degrees celsus it was humid and your clothes and hair stuck to you.  Grim.  Nevertheless our little band of archaeologists fought on.

I spent two weeks excavating a small workshop along the main route in Pompeii;  excavating was the best part but so was interacting with the public.  Most asked good questions, some asked weird ones and others were just plain funny.  One couple couldn’t understand why they were so lost when they were following a map... their map was Herculaneum!!

After that I moved into the zooarchaeological lab up near the Villa of Mysteries (which by the way is so worth the trek out - such beautiful mosaics!!) where I worked with Giovanni, the main zooarch, and a rotating bunch of helpers from site.  My masters degree is currently underway in zooarchaeology and this was a great opportunity to get some hands on experience!

I have been offered the opportunity to go back to Pompeii next summer, should my dissertation be going well.  I cannot wait!!  There will be photos to follow and more memories but tonight I should be writing an essay! Whelp!!

[badsciencejokes]

How did it end up like this

[archaeologysucks]

Archaeology Fashion, aka Scarecrow Chic

Unless your grew up on a farm, you’re probably going to need a whole new wardrobe of clothes you don’t mind getting permanently dirt-stained for archaeology. And not just one wardrobe, either. You’re going to need clothing suitable for all kinds of weather and terrain. Let’s take a look from the inside out. 

Bras and underwear: You want these to be as comfortable as possible. If you’re doing survey in the summer, you’re going to sweat. A lot. Stick with sports bras and underwear in cotton blends. They’re more absorbent, and won’t get itchy. I recommend men’s boxer briefs, no matter what sort of plumbing you have. 

Socks: You’re going to want summer and winter options, and enough of each to get you through to laundry day. Cotton sports socks are best for summer, and a wool blend for winter. No one wants frost-bitten toes! 

Longjohns: So important for staying warm in winter. Invest in at least a couple sets, top and bottom. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to wear just these under your rain gear than your field pants.

Shirts: Think layers. Teeshirts, flannels, sweatshirts, hoodies. A light-weight long sleeved sun shirt can also be good. If you’re doing a lot of construction monitoring, investing in a high-visibility reflective hoodie and teeshirts is a great idea.

Pants: You’ll want some that you can move, bend, and crouch easily in. Adequate pockets are important. The material should be tough enough to offer you some protection from thorns and brambles. No shorts! Most employers won’t allow them anyway. You will probably want summer and winter options, and a backup pair in case yours suffer a critical failure like mine did this morning (not the first time this has happened either; now I’m gonna spend all day explained the purple duct tape on my ass to construction guys). 

Boots: A sturdy pair of boots is a must, and will probably be the most expensive bit of field gear you have to buy yourself. Good boots can cost anywhere from $60 to $120. Steel-toed boots are required on most construction sites, but you may want a lighter weight set of hiking boots for survey work. Either way, waterproofing is important. Even if it’s not raining, if you’re walking through dewy grass in the morning, you can end up with wet feet all day. Fair warning: steel-toed work boots can be difficult to find in smaller (women’s) sizes.

Coat: A warms and easily washable field coat is great to have in winter. Get something with a hood. Waterproof is a bonus.

Hats, gloves, etc.: Make sure you have a warm hat that covers your ears, gloves you can write field notes in, and a scarf to keep your neck warm. You can also buy fleece hoods that cover the head and neck, and even the lower part of the face in especially cold weather. Even in summer, you may want some sort of head-covering to keep the sun off and protect your hair from dust. Ball caps are good, with the added bonus of a sun visor. I have a UV-resistant Buff that I really like.

Extra warmth: You know those little chemical hand and foot warmer packets you can get? Yeah, buy yourself a couple boxes of those. You will be glad you did.

Rain gear: A completely waterproof rain coat (with hood) and rain pants that are easy to move and work in are a necessity some days, depending on where you live. Rubber rain boots are also good to have on wet days or if your working in a boggy area. They also come in steel-toed options.

Safety gear: Your company should provide you with an appropriate safety vest and hard hat, but you may want to invest in your own. Safety vests come in many different weights and pocket options, and hard hats come in some fun colors. 

“Where am I going to get all this stuff?” you may be asking. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an archaeologist supply store. Thrift stores and military surplus stores are your friend. You can get a lot of the things on this list without spending too much money. For other items (like steel-toed rubber boots and reflective hoodies), you may need to go to workwear supply stores or outdoor stores. Best of luck. I’ll probably be shopping for field pants this weekend.

[keptin-indy]

Adding info for hot weather here:

- You absolutely need a lightweight long-sleeved shirt.  I don’t care how waterproof your sunscreen in, you will sweat it off.  Additionally, the sleeves will catch on brambles and spines before your skin does.

- A baseball cap is not going to cut it in some regions.  Get a completely brimmed hat or even a Foreign Legion-style one with the cloth in the back to keep your neck shaded.  I used a slouch hat, personally.

- Sunglasses function as a sand/spiky vine/branch/spiderweb shield.  Just don’t take any glasses you want to keep un-scratched.  I had a pair that looked like they’d been against a grinder after a dig in sugar sand.

- Camelbacks are the best thing holy shit.

- If there are any sore spots on your feet, either blisters or pre-blisters, take some toilet paper folded up very small as a cushion and then duct tape it to the spot with excess all the way around so none of the paper is exposed.  Any bandaid less hardy than that will rub/be sweated off.

- Your feet will get hot and gross, but you want solid leather boots, not ventilated. They need to be able to stop as much cactus or other spiky things as possible.  The taller the better.

- Snake guards.  They’re uncomfortable and hot.  You still want them if you’re anywhere warm because those places probably have venomous snakes.

[archaeo-geek]

A few more things:

-Steel-toed boots are heavy. I’m pretty tall and muscular for a woman so they don’t give me any problems, but for those of you who are not used to them, consider investing in the new “composite” boots that meet steel-toed requirements but are significantly lighter-weight.

-Rain pants: my preference is ones that are “coverall” style (that have a front bib and most importantly have their weight supported on your shoulders instead of your hips. If the pants are baggy (and they almost always are), then having the crotch hang low means that every step drags at your legs and makes you more tired.

-Consider gaiters - they help protect against ticks and I find offer my ankles some stability because instead of nylon, I actually wear a pair of heavy suede riding half-chaps (like these). Keep an eye on tack stores for sales - I got mine for about $40.

-Another tick tip is to literally duct-tape your sleeves and pants closed. I’ve never had to do this but apparently it’s really satisfying to see the little bastards get stuck to the tape trying to get into your clothes.

-A good bandana or comfortable headband to keep stray hairs off your face and neck, even under a hard hat or sun hat

-Different gloves for different situations. I like to get close-fitting “dipped” gardening gloves for tasks that require fine dexterity, but they don’t keep my hands clean or dry in monitoring situations where I’m pulling stuff out of the sloppy mud, so I have heavier leather or rubberized gloves for those days.

-Wear layers in cold situations. I know you hear it all the time but DO IT, don’t rely on a single warm coat. My best technique for extreme cold is the synethetic long underwear top and bottom (if it’s not long enough on top to tuck into your pants, wear a long tank top under this), then on bottom a pair of fleece or cotton “waffle” long johns under jeans or pants, and on top a cotton long-sleeve shirt, then a cotton waffle-shirt, then a flannel shirt, then a jacket and neckwarmer and pair of splash pants, if I’m not wearing my insulated high-vis gear.

-If you have some spare cash or a relative wants to get you a nice gift, go for a full “surveyor’s safety vest.” They’re outrageously expensive ($150 or so) but they’re incredibly durable, have loads of front pockets, and have a zip or velcro pocket that forms the whole back of the vest for your field notebook and even your trowel.

-Small ladies, always check the boys’ section at a store. As stupid as it is, there’s often boys’ gear that is tougher and cheaper than women’s for the field.

[robyn-la]

We called the surveyor’s vest a ‘Cruiser Vest’ after the timber cruisers, and I have to say I love it to bits!! If you buy one though, don’t get a cotton one!!! Go for Nylon, and if you have a bad back spring for the internal frame kind. Cruiser vests spread the weight out around your body and are way more maneuverable in the forest than a backpack! It’s also closer to your body, so it doesn’t get caught on stuff as much. I recommend Deakin brand, made in Canada! : https://www.deakin.com/

 More things to add: 

- Bug Jacket: If you’re working somewhere with gross bugs that want to bite you, I’d invest in a bug jacket, or at least a bug hat if you have the luxury of not being in the forest (they hinder your vision a bit = tree branches to the face)

- Clear safety Glasses: If you don’t want to wear sunglasses in the woods, I highly recommend getting your own pair of safety glasses that don’t hurt your head. As someone who was stabbed in the eye by a spruce tree while not wearing any, I cannot strongly enough recommend them! 

[bonekicker28]

Watch the Destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius, Re-Created with Computer Animation (79 AD)

A good disaster story never fails to fascinate — and, given that it actually happened, the story of Pompeii especially so.

One of my friends sent this link to me as i’m off to Pompeii digging over the summer (ohhhhh yeaaaaa baby!!!).  Anyways, i absolutely love the animation and just had to share; enjoy!

[bonekicker28]

What's Changed??

I can remember my arrival into London; it wasn’t that i’d never been before, i’d visited on day trips to museums and west end shows but this was different. I was moving here… With very little planning.

So i stood, heart pounding with anxiety, clutching my beaten up suitcase in the middle of St Pancras station, waiting for my friend to arrive - because i’d been too scared to travel by tube alone.

I’d received the call from a london archaeological unit on the thursday with the expectation of starting monday. I’d managed to get it shifted back to the tuesday but luckily my mate had allowed me to sleep on her floor.

My mum was no longer talking to me - to her moving to london, sleeping on someone’s floor, for a two week rolling contract was the same as running away to join the circus. It’d be weeks before we would talk properly again.

But i did it anyway.

So why now am i 50/50 about a month at Catalhoyuk? My mum has done her standard and yelled at me for 15mins about it, forbade me to go etc. Why am i not jumping? (even out of ha! Look at this mum thought process)

Firstly, i’ve been ill. My digestive system has messed up and now i’m on tablets… Without going into details… IBS. So travelling is kinda risky at best, always been ill when away and i’m worried they wont let me go home if i am really ill. (This is probably a very irrational fear… I mean who wouldnt?!? I’m sure they are not monsters)

And the political situation out there, the fact it is very close to Syria and well, quite frankly, scary. But then by not going am i letting “the bad people” win?? (again, this is probably irrational as i doubt the dig would go ahead if it all went to crap).

How over the last five years have i become so frightened? Is it because i’m now 28 and aware of my own mortality?? Lol, doubt it. Is it because i have anxiety and therefore, even at home, worried about my own shadow? Why am i not jumping at this amazing opportunity? What in me has changed??

[bonekicker28]

Here in post-ex we've found the remains of a wizards' tea party. Most people aren't aware that wizards take their tea very seriously... loose leaf only. Get that wrong and well, as this tea pot shows, it's curses all round.

[bonekicker28]

The Useless Processor

As an environmental processor, my job is fairly physical... people tend not to believe that since I'm not out in the field shoveling or mattocking but it's true, just in a different way.  I often have to carry around those 10L sample buckets or rearrange them into numerical order or lift them to chest height so I can get them in the tank.  

The actual act of sieving isn't too bad but lifting the mesh up and out the tank again can be quite demanding, especially if there are rocks and gravel involved.  It's easy to forget that while they are in there as the water makes the entire sample seem... well... weightless.  That's how I did my shoulder two years ago; lifting a mesh full of gravel out of the tank,  I was new to the job and in an outbuilding all on my own, meaning I couldn't scream for help when I realised that I couldn’t lift the mesh on my own.

I faced a dilemma... lift it using all of my strength and hope for the best or let it go.  I simply couldn’t hold it in one hand to refasten the clips back into place.  I didn't want to face the temper of my boss telling him I'd lost the enviro in the tank so I lifted.  The pain was immense.  I ended up in hospital with a suspected dislocation.

This time I lifted a drying tray of residue (which someone else had trayed up) from above my head.  I felt my shoulder physically pop out and back in. It hurt for a day, maybe two, so I rested, iced it and took ibuprofen.  I then forgot about it till four weeks later when I picked up a bucket to put in the tank and felt my shoulder go.  The pain is just... WOW.  There is no other world to describe it.  Even just hanging limply there the arm HURTS, the doctor has informed me that I have torn the muscles around the shoulder joint, she's given me ten days worth of naproxin... a anti-inflammatory painkiller and told me to do light duties for a week, minimum.

This is where I confess I feel bad.  I want to crack on with stuff, we have deadlines pressing in on us... evaluations, excavations, spot dates etc and I am now out of action.  I know that when I go in on monday and explain all to my boss he'll tut and shake his head (he always does that, that’s not me being over-dramatic)... thing is if i'd have reported it four weeks ago when it first popped out, instead of soldiering on and not telling anyone would he understand?  Why didn't I tell anyone? Well... i didn't want to be useless.

My black dog is gonna follow me around telling me all this and worse.  A processor that can't process?  Can’t lift... or carry..?  Useless.  Those deadlines are now screwed and it is all my fault.  I leave my job in four weeks time to go and do a masters at the University of York... so, while the new enviro processor is beginning in just over a week and we can get back on track, their last memories of me at this office will be as the useless processor.

[bonekicker28]

EU Referendum

Tomorrow is the day we'll turn out to the polls to decide if Britain is in or out the EU. I know what i’m voting (In) and i’m not going to blast anyone here with facts on that… if you’re voting Out please respect that. There’s nothing you can say to change my mind and i won’t try to change yours. This post is not a political broadcast… it’s about my feelings.

So much has been built up over this vote and the opinion polls are still so close. Yet to me it doesnt really matter anymore… let me tell you why.

I am the only one in my family voting In. They have screamed at me for being different. They have yelled so loud when i have attempted to give my views that i give up. I havent even tried to persuade them (they wouldn’t be able to hear me over the yelling). I am hurt that my opinion means so little to them.

My aunt has got my dad to be proxy vote for her… (she didnt ask him first, she should have). She’s voting differently to him so he’s now refusing to vote for her. It hurts seeing my family this way.

My best friend is voting Out and she called me a f**king joke. I didn’t even tell her she was wrong or attempt to change her mind… i respect that her views differ from mine. She made me too ashamed to talk to anyone about it anymore. Made me feel so awful about being passionate that now i do not want to share my opinion.

My work colleague is Polish and she’s asked me if i think she’s sucking this country dry. She’s sincerely concerned… she doesnt want to be seen this way, she’s given far more back than taken. She asked me how we got here. I don’t know. I’m upset that she feels upset.

At work, sites have slipped back as contractors wait. Work is dwindling. My anxieties increase.

Whatever the end result it will be interesting. My silence is deafening.

It may seem over dramatic. I am voting In but i feel as though i’ve lost so much already.

[bonekicker28]

Storm in a Teacup

...Or why I freaked out over being asked to make the tea.

Most of the time i’m pretty relaxed when it comes to helping people, in fact people often remark that i am a little too helpful for my own good sometimes. It’s definitely a behaviour attached to wanting people to like and accept me but whatever, that’s not really up for discussion right now.

My manager told me to contact the site supervisor to enquire as to whether there was enough tea/coffee/cakes and mugs for the large site visit that was to happen the next day on one of our important sites... and then to get the stuff together if it was needed and make sure it would get there.

Backstory

The day before the manager in question had been snappy with me while asking me to handle another load of tasks which were definitely not in my job description - logistics, project management stuff - but were certainly in his.  I got no thanks for doing them.

Not only that, it is up to the site supervisor to provide the ‘refreshments’ as it were... and the supervisor of the site is top notch.  He has kept them all well stocked up.

So whats the problem?

I was being asked to check on the refreshments for a managers meeting.  I’m an archaeologist.  That is my job, not tea lady, not logistics.  Archaeologist.  And while I believe everyone should be willing to make tea/coffee for people (after all, it’s such a lovely gesture) its more how he asked (snappy, assuming, bad manners) and because he wouldn’t ask one of my male colleagues to do it.

That last line is the key point there, let’s have it again.  He would not ask one of my male colleagues to do it.

i was enraged but, like normal, I assumed I had misread the situation... maybe he just trusted me with this stuff.  I was making assumptions for others crappy behaviour... so i asked people what they thought and the majority, both men and women, were horrified and told me very simply to not do it.

A simple google of this shows up that it was one of the most subtly sexist things to occur in the workplace... alongside comments about clothing (also has happened to me) and judging a woman’s work as being below the standard of their male counter parts (happened to me and other women by the same manager).  

This isn’t about whether or not I order or make the tea.  It is so much bigger than that.  

[bonekicker28]

Sure it’s not a perfect piece (and our profession is spilt over how good it actually is) but i feel it represents archaeology better than some written pieces out there…

[bonekicker28]

"I don't understand why we're even bothering to do enviro... all the sites in the area have just produced blank samples in the past..." -manager. That very site has so far produced charred seeds (photo above), fish vetebrae, burnt bones, mineralised seeds, charcoal and artefacts from the enviro samples. Trying not to be smug. Trying so hard.

[bonekicker28]

From 1992… English Heritage guide to posting certain decomposing vertebrates.

[jangojips]

Now I’m just curious

Weirdest thing you’ve found on survey/excavation that wasn’t of archaeological value? 

[suzythered]

Part of a sex toy recovered in a bucket auger.

I don’t know why someone felt the need to bury their shame (?) in the yard of a random abandoned farmstead, but we unfortunately cut through it/recovered part of it.

[jangojips]

I find a lot of underwear in the woods. All sorts: Tidy whities, thongs, boxers. Once, we found partial pleather assless chaps. Surface find. It looked like something ripped/ate it apart. 

[archaeo-geek]

On a survey: A single area about 2m x 2m containing the bones of a deer, a moose or a cow, a beaver or a porcupine, a bucket of giant snow crab legs, and the soft tissue remains of a black duck and a snake, both nailed to / suspended from a tree.

[jangojips]

Daaaaang, archaeo-geek. 

[archaeo-geek]

Yeah, my boss was like, “We’re leaving. Right now.”

[prettysweetlemons-deactivated20]

Watching a digger strip back an area and I see this big dark cut for a pit. Very fresh soil. A little perplexed, I jump into the trench and start hoeing back. It’s deep, and a bit soft. A big hole that’s been dug not too long ago, definitely within the last 5 years. And then I scrape over black plastic sheeting at the same time as this absolutely horrendous putrid smell starts rising. Definitely something dead. 

Had to cut through the plastic to confirm it was a dead sheep - farmers around here often bury dead diseased animals instead of reporting them - but all I could think about was ‘murderers wrap victims in plastic’. 

Smell was stuck in my nose for the rest of the day >.< 

[robyn-la]

My boss and I once were hiking around the Rockies on a project and came to a point in the plateau, where there was a little lean-to facing towards the cliff. We walked around the front very carefully, both of us starting to feel uneasy about the place. Inside, we found the skeletal remains of a deer, piled up right in the centre as if it were a small shrine. We looked at each other and left very quickly…the whole place gaves us the willies.

[bonekicker28]

Spoil heap of the week!! "Whats with the flags?" "Explosion at a flag factory..."