WHEN I IN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL I DECIDED TO EXCAVATE IN A SOUTHWESTERN SITE IN FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO. I TOOK A BUS TRIP FROM OHIO TO NEW MEXICO WITH MY BACKPACK AND VISA AND PLANNED TO TAKE A BUS TO MEXICO AS WELL AFTER THE EXCAVATION. ONCE WE ARRIVED AT THE SALMON RUINS MUSEUM AND VIEWED IT AND THE LAB, WE DROVE TO OUR REMOTE SITE. WE DECIDED HOW TO TEST EXCAVATE PART IT AND LAID OUT A GRID. I STARTED TO DIG A I X I METER UNIT WITHIN THE KIVA WHICH HAD BEEN EXPOSED BY THE BANK OF THE SA JUAN. THE OTHER THREE PEOPLE HELPED TO TEST AND DIG SEVERAL HOUSE PITS AS WELL AS A WELL WHICH HAD BEEN USED AS A TRASH PIT. I MET A TEACHER WHO TAUGHT AT THE NAVAJO RESERVATION AND SHE INVITED ME TO COME WITH HER ON A TRIP TO CANYON DE CHELLY. IT WAS A FASCINATING TRIP AGAIN AND SHE TAUGHT ME ALOT ABOUT THE NATIVE PLANTS AS WELL AS ABOUT THE PREHISTORY OF THE CANYON.
WE FOUND MANY CERAMICS, OBSIDIAN AND CHERT DEBITAGE, A PRAYER STICK, PIECES OF GRINDING SLABS. THESE ARTIFACTS UNFORTUNATELY WERE EITHER STOLEN OR LOST FROM THE LAB. OUR SITE WAS ABOUT 7 MILES FROM THE MAIN SALMON RUINS SITE.
AT THE MAIN SALMON RUINS THEY HAD PAINTED WALLS OF THE KIVAS - THESE WERE VERY UNUSUAL TO ME.. THE SITE WAS HUGE AND I GUESS ABOUT 40 ARCHAEOLOGY STDENTS AND PROFESSORS WERE THERE THAT SUMMER. ON WEEKENDS WE LEARNED ABOPUT THE NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR WERE MANY TYPES OF GRASSES THAT THEY COLLECTED AS WELL AS OTHER HERBS AND SOME SEEDS. I SAW MANY BIRDS, JACKRABBITS, RATTLESNAKES, AND SOME DEER. IT WAS A FASCINATING TIME FOR ME AS IT WAS MY FIRST SITE I EXCAVATED AWAY FROM HOME AND I BECAME MORE CONFIDENT OF TRAVELING BY MYSELF AS WELL AS MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT BEING AN ARCHAEOLOGIST. IT WAS FUN TO WATCH THE RAINSTORMS COMING IN AND THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS. WE ALSO WALKED TO A CANYON WHERE THERE WAS A PREHISTORIC CAVE.
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