We Don’T Dig Dinosaurs!: What Archaeologists Really Get up To

By Sue T. Carter

There is a wide held misconception that archaeologist dig up dinosaurs we don't, we leave that to the palaeontologists. Archaeology is the study of the human past and there is an approximate gap of 64 million years between the extinction of the dinosaurs and human evolution.

This book holds insights into what archaeologists from around the world really do in their work life, and why they chose archaeology as a career. Stories ranging from animals, the environment, sacrifice, human remains, community involvement and even fantasy related archaeology, this book in an insight into the many aspects of life in the interesting and diverse career of archaeology.

Whether you are a student looking at studying archaeology, an armchair critic, someone who finds the subject interesting, or think that archaeology involves just three days of 'digging', this book will open up a whole new world of what is involved in the eclectic career of an archaeologist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499007695

Sue T. Carter

Sue is an archaeologist working between Western Australia and Britain in heritage consultancy and field work. Her passion lies in researching the hidden histories of fortified sites especially during the Iron Age and Dark Ages. Fortified England is Sue’s research webpage where her in-depth articles are published bi-monthly. Contact Info 8 Clover place Bibra Lake Western Australia 6163 Mobile: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2014 by Sue T. Carter.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 06/12/2014

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Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. We Might Not Dig Dinosaurs…

But We Dig (Almost) Everything Else!

2. The Red Trowel

3. Aha Moment: Going Back to the Roots of Metalsmithing

4. Call Me Indiana Lloyd-Jones: Making Archaeology Exciting

5. Archaeology in the Outback

6. Bedlam by Name, Bedlam by Nature:

Revising a Famous Shropshire Ironworks

7. Never Work with Animals!

8. Fire over the March: A Landscape Archaeology of a Fantasy War

9. Archaeology in Oceania

10. Dirty Job

11. So Why Did You Study Archaeology?

12. Community Archaeology

13. Elvis, Three Nipples, and the Curse of the Maiden’s Tomb!

14. Bakers’ Delights!

15. A Dig Is Like a Box of Chocolates

16. Chickens, Cemeteries,

and the Archaeological Search

17. Memories of a Director of Archaeology

18. Oh La La! France, August 2010

19. An Accidental Archaeologist

20. Archaeology from the Third World

21. Excavating in Outback Western Australia:

Some Quandongs, That New Car Smell, an Excavation, and a Nurse

22. Subterranean Homesick Blues: Thoughts on Dowsing and Archaeology in Ireland

23. Spiders and Needles and Archaeology oh My!

Common Questions Relating to Archaeology

End Notes

In memory of Emmett Connolly,

a great archaeologist whose light was extinguished far too soon.

Foreword

A rchaeology and history cannot find out why we’re here, but it can find out HOW we’re here. It cannot answer the questions that science poses on the nature of the world and the universe, but it can dictate how we compose those questions. Above all, it cannot predict where we are going, but it does allow us to bask in the violent beauty of where we have been. History tends to fight on the side of the tall and proud. Archaeology is the wingman of the humble. It is the voice that shouts over the silence of history; it’s the study of the people that history forgets.

Because the essence of who we are is judged by what came before us, the simple human story, beyond these pages, is something that transcends simple words on a page. The past brings us together; it unites us. It makes memories that will last a lifetime.

Paddy Lambert, archaeologist

Acknowledgements

F irstly, to my daughter Kellie for her patience while I was pulling all the stories together, as well as her understanding to the peals of laughter that often came from my office when reading through the manuscript. To my other daughter, Elisha, for her patience and understanding while the manuscript took shape.

To the many dedicated archaeologists for submitting their personal experiences from the jobs they are passionate about and continue to undertake on a daily basis. Their dedication is often overlooked in the daily routine of things—yet their stories are invaluable in the understanding of the discipline.

Last, but by no means least, to the general public who continue to be fascinated by archaeology and the process of uncovering the human past, which does not include dinosaurs!

Introduction

A rchaeology is the study of the human past from the material remains left behind. Where do dinosaurs fit in? They don’t. There is an approximate gap of 65 million years between the extinction of dinosaurs and human evolution. Palaeontologists are the people who dig up, or excavate, dinosaurs. Archaeologists do not.

Archaeology is a scientific discipline that follows certain procedures. These, however, can vary by country due to the evolution that has occurred there. For example, in Australia there is a large amount of Indigenous archaeology which remains on the surface, is open to the elements, and consists mostly of lithics (stone tool artefacts). In many cases, there is no need to excavate (dig in the ground) except where there is a special requirement, as in the case of rock shelters where you find stratigraphy (a sequence of deposits over time) or at sites like Lake Mungo, part of the Willandra Lakes Region in New South Wales, where the oldest human remains in Australia have been uncovered, dating to approximately 25,000 years ago. There is also historical archaeology, the remains of the first white settlers to the continent from the seventeenth century onwards. Two main types producing archaeological remains—though when compared to Europe, this may seem small, and there are often calls of Australia has no archaeology or history! to which I reply, You need to open your eyes and scratch below the surface to uncover one of the oldest continually inhabited continents where there still remains to this day First Nation peoples who are walking in the footsteps of their forefathers and handing down a culture many thousands of years old, a rarity in the modern world today.

Although archaeologists follow the protocol set down by their countries’ governing bodies, as with all aspects of life, the best-laid plans can go awry. The weather can have a huge effect upon the job—too hot, too cold, wind, lightning, torrential storms, and cyclones. Unexpected and unforeseen circumstances can alter a day’s targets or planned progress. Animals can get involved in the routine tasks, as well as an element of surprise and panic. Most unexpected is the need to take care of your health; as you will see, sometimes the job can become personal!

When working with a group of people, you usually know who your work colleagues are; however, when different areas within the discipline of archaeology need to work together (for example, research archaeologists, excavators, geophys ics personnel, and volunteers), different personalities can clash, enhance others’ personal traits, and even have a major effect on the dynamics of the group. Human nature can certainly be an interesting aspect to the job and, in some cases, add an unexpected dimension to the process.

This book is a collection of experiences gained by archaeologists from around the globe. Archaeologists share their personal stories and tales as well as open your eyes to what can be possible if you keep an open mind and embrace the human past. Different thoughts, feelings, interpretations, and processes come to light, which expand the mind and get the brain thinking there is actually more to archaeology than digging holes (excavating trenches, to those I may have just offended).

The second part of the book contains the answers to many questions relating to the basic concepts of archaeology. They are by no means deep, just a short and concise way to explain the common issues which seem to raise their eyebrows every time someone asks what I do for a living and I respond, Archaeologist.

Whether you are interested in becoming an archaeologist or just have a general interest after watching programmes like Time Team, Two Men in a Trench, Digging for Britain, Extreme Archaeology, or Digging for the Truth, you will find some eye-opening stories to make you chuckle, shocked, think about how you fit into the history of your part of the human journey and even how you can assist other countries in the search to uncover their past.

Archaeology is not just a job—it is a lifestyle. You live it, breathe it, are passionate about it, and sometimes eat it—yes, I am being serious! Once you have your first find, you will never forget the excitement of holding something that may not have been touched for up to 20,000 years, and the buzz you get is just too powerful to put into words. It is an experience you will hold forever, and it is so personal that no two experiences are ever the same.

There are so many stories to be shared about uncovering the human past, what they mean, how they affect you and others concerned, and the trail it can lead you on in order to uncover the personal side to history.

Read, digest the information, and enjoy the experiences shared by an amazing group of individuals who have taken the time to disclose personal insights into their world of being an archaeologist.

STORIES

We Might Not Dig Dinosaurs…

But We Dig (Almost) Everything Else!

Ashleigh Murszewski, Australia

W hen people ask me what I studied at university, they are often shocked when they hear I am an archaeologist—and half the time I don’t blame them. The typical public perception of an archaeologist regularly includes the name Indiana Jones or the question Oh! So have you found any dinosaur bones lately?

Although completely inaccurate and rather comical, there is a part of me that smiles when people draw parallels between Indi’s remarkable lifestyle and my own. However, in response to the latter, I can only shudder as I am sure after reading this book that you are now aware archaeology and palaeontology are quite different. And by quite, I mean very!

The satirical thing about the story I am about to tell you is that it actually involves palaeontology, but perhaps not the palaeontology that first comes to mind. As some of you will be aware of and will think me silly for clarifying, a palaeontologist studies a lot more than just dinosaurs. Technically, they study prehistoric life—that excludes the study of morphologically modern humans. I had the pleasure of working with a very knowledgeable palaeontologist (who actually specialises in rodents) during fieldwork last year on a new project that I had been working on for my thesis. Although I had completed other fieldwork projects before, I will always associate this trip with becoming the real deal.

As there are many types of archaeologists, I think it’s best to clarify first what my focus is. Both I and my supervisor are somewhat of a rare breed called geoarchaeologists. In studying both geology and archaeology, we have equipped ourselves to provide a holistic interpretation of an archaeological site that also includes the surrounding landscape (i.e. rocks are important). So this tale includes prehistoric life, rocks, and humans. Enjoy.

~~~

My thesis sought to fit some of the missing pieces into a much wider puzzle on the interaction of man and megafauna in Australia more than 45,000 years ago. Megafauna are exactly that—mega (large) fauna (animals) that occupied this continent thousands of years ago. One prominent theory of their extinction is that they were overhunted by humans. As this theory includes both humans and animals, it sits neatly within the realm of both archaeology and palaeontology.

To support this theory, we need signs that man and megafauna coexisted within the same zones. To date, there are only a handful of sites in Australia where artefacts and megafaunal bones have been found together—one of them being my study area in the mid-west region of Western Australia. As this site includes a complex network of river systems, it is likely that the bones and artefacts we are looking for will have been moved from their original location—and this was what we set to find out.

There is a lot of controversy over this region and its significance. Some suggest this is because of its alkaline environment; it has a high preservation potential that will aid future research (and I agree). Others, due to the misfortune of earlier researchers, believe it is cursed and have compared it to the likes of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Surprisingly, this only enhanced my enthusiasm to go and have a look! After all, a site worthy of a protective curse akin to Tut’s tomb must be hiding a discovery of similar magnitude—surely.

So three ologists (of varying descriptions) with two cars and a couple of bottles of wine made the trip to the site, where we were welcomed by a lovely gentleman who let us stay in his homestead. Typically, this is when you’d hear about pitching tents and making a fire with logs of wood. Well, fortunately, there was a house with beds AND a stovetop—all the rarities of archaeological fieldwork. Although we technically weren’t camping, a campfire was still a must-have to enjoy under the stars.

We could only be away from the chaos of the city for three days and had an extensive landscape to assess. So we made educated guesses based on the geology as to where material would likely be located. And boy, were we on the money!

There were many moments of excitement over this trip, most of which I instigated. You can imagine an eager student on their very first day; everything they pick up they think is more significant than what it actually is. That day, that student was me. In my defence, carbonaceous concretions and fossils do look remarkably similar without a hand lens. This is where a palaeontologist comes in handy—to come over, take one quick glance, and clarify that what I was getting excited about was no more than a rock. After the tenth or so time, two things came to mind:

a) Because of my geology background, I should have already known that it was rock.

b) Geologists get excited about rocks all the time.

So clearly, my excitement was justified.

Hoping not to irritate the others, I tried to quieten down and decided to walk ahead a little. In walking ahead, I found what I thought was just another carbonate concretion. I was going to just keep walking, but I decided to get down on all fours and have a proper look. And I’m glad I did!

I waited until the others caught up and tried to play it cool… until it was confirmed that it was actually a bone. As we were fairly confident we were walking along the same stratigraphic unit where megafaunal bones had been uncovered in the past, the excitement began to kick in. Our handy palaeontologist confirmed