Kim carries around a big box ‘o stuff with her. Let’s take a look. See if you can match up the item with its purpose. At the end of the post is an answer key.
A – to carefully remove dirt
B – to keep insects away while you work
C – to mark lines
D – to store artifacts
E – to mark a spot of interest on the ground
F – to hold a rope
G – to measure soil depth
H – to describe soil color
We started a new test site by measuring a one by one square. It had to be PERFECT so Francis used a ruler and marked it with the string.
When excavating a site, you take the soil off in layers. I like this picture because it shows people doing different jobs. Katie, in purple, is using a rock hammer to break up roots on the first layer of a new test site. Behind Katie is Cheryl. She is photographing a finished test site. In the back is Ranger Matt is doing some paperwork before filling in the test site hole.
We sifted through each layer of soil looking for artifacts. Archaeologist Kim has a good eye for dacite and double checked our work. Dig. Sift. Dig. Sift. Repeat.
We worked our way through the soil layer by layer.
When Kim said the test site was finished we photographed it,
Drew a cross section
Then filled it in.
We went home dirty and tired.
Answer Key:
1=H, 2=G, 3=A, 4=C, 5=F, 6=D, 7=E, 8=B
Dinnertime Discussion: Why is it necessary to take the soil off in layers?
