UWM Field School 2023 Week One

 The Archaeological Field School is a dynamic opportunity to practice classroom lessons and learn hands-on techniques. During the first week of instruction, students traveled to Koshkonong Creek Village. The lessons focused on field etiquette and equipment, compasses and mapping, shovel test pits, setting up units, and pedestrian walkover survey. The work conducted by students is essential to completing research on an archaeological site. Participants record their observations and data in their field notebooks; this information will later be used in the classroom, by graduate students, and by cultural resource management professionals in order to complement the materials recovered through survey and excavation. Their contributions are an important part of documenting the history of the area.



Figure 1. Dr. Rick Edwards and teaching assistant Sean Gleason demonstrate a Shovel Test Pit. Sean is sieving material from the test pit in order to recover potential archaeological finds.



Figures 2 & 3. Students are practicing setting up 2m x 2m units. The exercise often requires multiple attempts to make the unit boundaries perfectly symmetrical. Bryce Hansen and Tim Piatek give us a thumb’s up to show success. Nicholas Peterson and Cat Van Kannen take a moment to relax after their accomplishment.


Figure 4. A point was recovered by Bryce Hansen during a pedestrian walkover survey. Pedestrian walkover surveys involve spreading out in a line to walk through fields to recover archaeological materials, a task often complicated by dry terrain or vegetation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UWM Field School Week 6

Image
The last week of Field School has passed. The students excavated features, expanded the trench, and, most importantly - excelled. For instructors, this week is both bittersweet and fulfilling, as it is difficult to say goodbye to capable, hardworking, and unique individuals. Watching skills develop and growth occur is the most rewarding part of education. It will be exciting to see where our future archaeologists go!  Figure 1. Aubrey Morris and Anissa Zaske screening. Anissa is holding a small Madison point.  Figure 2. Gil Amador in a wall trench with a total station rod. The rod is a receiver for the total station's laser, measuring point position.  Figure 3. In the foreground, Madison Baynes works in a large feature. In the background, Ricky Huertas opens up a new trench.  Figure 4. Tim Piatek, Bryce Hansen, and Anissa Zaske uncover a large ceramic pot in situ. Figure 5. Rachel Stewart cleaning a floor for a photograph.  Figure 6. Crystal Morgan, an archaeolo...
Read more

UWM Field School Week 4

Image
In the fourth week of field school, the excavation starts looking very different! Students work on knocking down baulks (earthen borders between test units in archaeological excavation), resulting in the area becoming a singular trench. This allows for connections between features to be revealed.  Figure 1. Anna-Sophia Tsiolis and Jackson King record a unit find. Anna-Sophia is placing pottery into a small box to keep it safe.  Figure 2. Taking down baulks! In the foreground, Anna-Sophia Tsiolis removes a western wall with Ava Wolcott and Madison Baynes carefully troweling where a baulk once stood to clean the area and search for artifacts. In the background, Nicholas Peterson, Elsie Touchstone, and Bryce Hansen work together to take down a unit.  Figure 3. As the wider excavation area opens, Bryce Hansen, Rachel Stewart, Hannah Bauer, Maria Innis, Tim Piatek, Anissa Zaske, and Matthew Sharley clean the floor with trowels.  Figure 4. Trying to get a photograph of the...
Read more