Your Future is in the Past

As an archaeologist you can encounter both the past and the future in a single moment and with that you open up new opportunities for learning and understanding both culture and nature. This is my journey, join me. Free counters

[westr70]

Ventura Mission

Writing up the feature descriptions.  Although each aspect of archaeology is rewarding in its own way, the write up of features is challenging on so many different levels that it has to be one of my favorite tasks.  You have to be open to many interpretations, aware of biases, contamination, how the field strategy affects results, and endless other permutations.  I love it!

[westr70]

Archaeological writing

I enjoy writing up feature descriptions, particularly if you don't know what they are.  Forces you to think, consider all the pieces, figure out your assumptions, and draw your conclusions.  In the end, sometimes you just don't know what it is but you have detailed it enough that possibly someone else will.  I am a believer in illustrations, particularly in the final product, but I don't solely rely on them when I'm writing since I like the challenge of finding the right words and structure to describe the feature.  In the end, the ability to communicate defines how good an archaeologist you are.

[westr70]

Spent the day at Mission Santa Barbara.  So much information and I am overwhelmed because so much of it is interesting.  Wasn't enough time to even start to look it all over.  Well, not so bad when if you have to spend more time in Santa Barbara. 

[westr70]

Archaeology on a Monday

Doing paper work today, reviewing two new contracts, examining maps that need to be recycled, made appointment for research in Santa Barbara, talked to two clients, interviewed possible bookkeeper, initiated record search for new project in Ventura, pondered interpretive ideas for Ventura.  

The weather was nice..........

[westr70]

Attached is one of the cannonballs at the Presidio in Santa Barbara.  These will become the base line data set for further analysis.   While I don't expect any significant new data to come of this, it will at least serve to highlight some of the diagnostics associated with this type of artifact for this time period. 

[westr70]

Threshing floor research

Continuing to research Ventura Mission threshing floors. 

Also got a lead about some maps at the Bancroft Library.  Have to follow up on that. Would love to go myself but can't get the time.

[westr70]

Today I have to forgo research on cannonballs and look at threshing floors as a possible explanation for Features 19 and 20 at the Ventura Mission.  The semi-circular feature is within a quadrangle of the mission so it wouldn't have any wind to winnow the chaff from the grain.  But I need to look at it as an explanation.  The null hypothesis. 

[westr70]

Mission Cannonballs research

Our research on a Soledad cannonball has now broadened to include one found at Mission Ventura and attributed to Hippolyte de Bouchard, an Argentine.  Gets more interesting by the day.

[westr70]

Cannonballs identifed!

Well it seems that our cannonballs are from 8 pounders of which the Monterey Presidio had seven in the 1790s.  How exactly it wound up at Soledad Mission is the question which we will tackle next.  We probably won't answer that question, but we should be able to narrow down the possibilities.

[westr70]

Learning something new everyday

Well this week, I've gotten into cannonballs from California Mission Period sites.  I have five colleagues who have pitched in to help.  They have shared their knowledge and resources so that I can make the best interpretation of the artifacts (cannonballs) that were recovered.  The information that I generate will provide additional context for evaluating cannonballs previously found in California and the greater Southwest.  Incrementally, we as a group, will provide steps for a better understanding of the processes that took place during the Mission Period. 

[westr70]

Mission Cannonballs

We've been working on Mission Soledad in Central California and the staff there has found what they believe to be cannonballs.  I've asked them to take photos and measurements so that we can get a handle on their origin.  Should be fun.

[westr70]

A generation which ignores its history has no past and no future.

Robert Heinlein. 1973. The Notebooks of Lazarus Long.

[westr70]

Vasquez Rocks California.  It has to be one of the best places to visit.  There is a county park there, Los Angeles, and the scenery is incredible.