#field advice

[chaotic-archaeologist]

How do you get opportunities to excavate outside of field schools when you’re an undergrad? Barring covid 19 of course😂

I’m not sure from your question whether or not you’ve had a field school, so I’ll preface this by saying that the field school is the first thing that you need to do, and all of this advice assumes that you already have at least one under your belt.

You should look up various CRM companies. They do private archaeology for construction companies before they begin building. You do have to have done a field school as a prerequisite, but you don’t need to have a degree of any kind. It’s mostly just shovel bum work, but you get paid and it’s great experience!

I was going to work for Commonwealth Heritage Group before this whole pandemic thing hit. You should check them out. 

I would also recommend asking your professors if they know anyone, CRM or otherwise, who is looking for a field crew over the summer. Another good opportunity could be a grad student who is excavating for their PhD.

If anyone else has other suggestions please feel free to chip in!

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

So I got an e-mail today, I'll be off on my first ever archaeological dig in Moab over spring break! I apologize if people have asked you this question before, but any advice for people that are going on their first dig? What should I expect?

WOO WOO CONGRATULATIONS

Here’s a list of some relevant posts:

Dos and Don’ts of digging

Post where people shared their field boots

Digging tips

Advice for an aspiring archaeologist

I’m also gonna send you over to @midden-maiden because she actually lives and works in Utah. She’s very capable and can probably give you some more specific advice. don’t lick the rodent middens

Dig good holes!!

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

whats the one thing (other than a trowel) that a field pack would be incomplete without? (I'm starting my new job in 2 days and am very anxious about being unprepared)

SUNSCREEN

But also frozen Gatorade. 

Also check out the field advice section of my advice masterlist. There’s a lot of information there.

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hey, if you or any of your followers need a field school this summer (which everyone should, field season is best season!), my school has a neat one coming up this summer! It’s held in British Columbia from mid May to mid June, and we’re finishing up excavations in a pithouse and doing a bunch of other cool stuff. I can absolutely provide more information if anyone is interested, but I didn’t want to bog you down if you aren’t! It’s a pretty sweet set-up for a field school, and I highly recommend it! 

Thank you for the heads up! This is a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to get a field school under their belt but for whatever reason doesn’t want to travel somewhere super far from home. Don’t rule Canada out when looking for excavations, folks!

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hey, this is kind of a niche question, but I was wondering if you might have an answer for it. Do you think it’s feasible for someone with IBD to work regularly as a field archaeologist? Also, thank you for your wonderful blog I love seeing people on here post about archaeology

Hmm, this is an interesting question. I don't have IBD so I'll just preface my answer by saying that whatever I say should be taken in that context.

I think the majority of your success will depend on what your symptoms are, and if/how you can manage them. Maybe that means taking more frequent bathroom breaks than the rest of the crew, taking more medication, or going on a special diet for field season.

Those are all preemptive things that you can do, but while you're in the field you might also look into ways that you can mitigate your symptoms. If you're not near a bathroom but still fairly close to civilization, maybe you could arrange for a port-a-john so that you have more privacy. If it's a hike in/hike out situation you could look into a portable toilet?

I think that before taking this on, you should talk to both your field supervisor and your doctor to make sure that all the right things are done, and so that hopefully you don't end up in an uncomfortable situation. Other than that, I don't really see why it should prevent you from going into the field. People work with stomach bugs (because sometimes you just gotta soldier through) and if they can work, you can probably find a way.

Best of luck (and please tell me if you end up going on a dig!)

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

I have a question, who determines excavation season and do they differ from country to country?

Hi there!

Weather is going to be the single most important factor that determines the excavation season. If you’re somewhere where it’s warm and relatively dry most of the year, then you can excavate year round. If there’s a season of intense rainfall that could prohibit digging. In colder areas, snow will obscure the ground and the cold will freeze it, making digging almost impossible.

A good comparison would be construction season. If people are going around digging foundations for buildings or putting in pipes, chances are that archaeologists are at work. We often work alongside construction for Cultural Resource Management to make sure that whatever they’re building isn’t going to destroy any archaeological sites.

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

hey there! I'm in the middle of my first field work experience, we're digging on a neolithic site and it's so much fun!! just wanna say thank you because you were among what inspired me to go digging since i dont technically have to (I'm a bio anthropology minor, not an archaeologist). I'm taking the sunscreen advice very seriously, tho I think that the soil I'm constantly covered in also does a good job of protecting me. much love from this new dirtling! :)

WOO WOO HELLO NEW DIRTLING!!!

I’m so very glad that you’re using sunscreen! Skin cancer is no fun. Maybe if I ever make merch one will be a shot glass, because that’s how much sunscreen it takes to cover an average adult. 

Let me know when you reach the moment where you go am I tan or is this just dirt? Hint: it’s always just dirt.

I’m so glad that you’re having a good time out there. The ground is still pretty hard here in Michigan, so eat some dirt for me.

-Reid

[chaotic-archaeologist]

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