Geography and Anthropology are two very interesting subjects that I have been studying for the past few years. Archaeology ties both together. For each centimetre that is dug into the earth, human history can be found through waste, artifacts, and faunal deposits. Digging down also reveals the history of the earth itself. The faunal deposits present could be an indication of past climate, past sea levels can be found through sediments, and clues of historical culture can be discovered. There has been a longstanding argument on whether archaeology belongs to history or anthropology. In my opinion, archaeology does not belong to any particular subject. Archaeology is its own interdisciplinary subject, taking in concepts from anthropology, history, and geography.
I stayed on Nettle Island for 13 days, and conducted field work in neighbouring islands. Going on a field school was an incredible experience, as I have learned many things that cannot be taught in a typical classroom setting. The excavations certainly get you hyped up for what lies ahead. Even though there was only 9 days of actual digging, our 2 excavation units managed to dig three 1 metre by 1 metre quadrants, with depth ranging from 60 centimetres to 130 centimetres. Numerous artifacts were found, in addition to dozens of bags filled with bones from both marine and land organisms. Hearth features, which are evidence of fire use, were found in several locations of the excavation units. Hopefully we will find more information about the past from our lab work in the coming weeks.
I’d like to take a moment to thank my instructor and the Uvic Anthropology department for letting me take this field course. My experience was beyond my expectations, in a good way, of course. 