“BACKYARD ARCHAEOLOGY” A Social-Distancing Field School
HOOD COLLEGE ONLINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL
Summer 2021
Course Number: ART 370 (Undergraduate)
Course Title: Archaeological Fieldwork
Professor: Dr. David R. Hixson (Ph.D. RPA)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology, Hood College, MD
Department: Art and Archaeology
Email: hixson@hood.edu
Home Office: The Hendricks House Farm, outside of Shepherdstown, WV
Office Hours: By Zoom Appointment
What is a Field School?
Along with a 4-year degree in anthropology, archaeology or a related discipline, the only other qualification needed to be employed as an archaeologist in the United States, or on many projects around the world, is an archaeological ”field school”. Field school is where students learn the proper field techniques for excavations and preliminary artifact processing. A bachelor’s degree plus a field school qualifies one to be a “field technician” in our discipline. Therefore, this class will be focused upon the most common skills required of archaeological field technicians, from low-tech pace-and-compass surveying methods to stratigraphic excavations, we will cover each skill together, providing both one-on-one and group feedback live via video conferencing.
This year the professor will be excavating the historic Hendricks House Farm, a middling Shenandoah Valley farmstead founded in 1790, located just outside of Shepherdstown, WV. This also happens to be Dr. Hixson’s back yard. He will be working alongside everyone virtually, using online video conferencing technology and online video hosting. He will be demonstrating proper procedures, while supportively coaching the independent archaeological excavations and background research of each student in their own respective back yards.
Class requirements:
• Ability to conduct moderate to strenuous physical activity.
• Access to a 2 x 2-meter area that can be disturbed by excavations to a depth of less than 1 meter. Gardens are perfect options (or you can convert your excavations into a new garden).
• Verification that there are no utilities or other hazards within that 2 x 2-meter area.
• Express legal permission to excavate on this land. Hood College is not responsible for any permitting that may be required under local HOA or residential codes.
• The ability to conduct this fieldwork while maintaining proper social distancing guidelines.
• Home internet with capability of basic live streaming of video files and zoom sessions.
• Ability to print paperwork.
• Cell Phone / Tablet / Portable Laptop that can be used outside.
Class Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9am – 1pm
Dates: June 1st through July 9th (Six Weeks)
Location: Online via Zoom and Blackboard
Credits: 3 Credit Hours
Often taken in conjunction with ART 380 (Laboratory Analysis) for a total of 6 credit hours.
May be repeated.
PREREQUISITES: 12 Credit Hours in Art & Archaeology at the 200-level or above, and/or permission of the archaeology concentration coordinator.
COURSE DESCRIPTION from the Hood College Course Catalog:
Opportunity to learn archaeological field methods through hands-on experience at an archaeological site selected in collaboration between the student and archaeology concentration coordinator. Students are expected to observe and learn both survey and excavation techniques, recording, drawing and analyzing finds.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Archaeological Surveying: students will gain experience using essential mapping and surveying techniques to locate archaeological sites, select excavation loci, and place archaeological features within an established grid.
Archaeological Excavations: students will learn and practice how to conduct archaeological excavations, including the proper use of various tools for excavations, interpretation of soil stratigraphy, and the recognition of natural and cultural features.
Artifact Recovery: students will be trained in and execute proper techniques for artifact recovery in the field, such as screening (wet-, dry-, or fine-), piece plotting, and bagging and tagging.
Field Documentation: students will practice proper field documentation techniques, including daily field notes, excavation forms, field photography, and plan/profile drawings.
Report Writing: students will write their own summary field report, including background research and data from their excavations and artifact analyses.
Class Organization:
Each Lesson (below) will be presented as a video demonstration by the professor. Some demos may be live, but most will be prerecorded and then viewed together with the class live on Zoom. These video demonstrations will also be uploaded to our class Blackboard site to be viewed and reviewed at any time.
Students will then follow the directions provided in the demonstration, applying the techniques to their own back yard excavations.
Classes run Monday through Thursday, 9am to 1pm Eastern (we can negotiate times for those not living in the eastern U.S.). Students will also be expected to conduct research, process artifacts, compose notes, and access Blackboard outside of these hours as homework.
Mondays and Wednesdays: Video Demonstrations and discussion of the daily lessons. Then students break off to perform the weekly tasks, with regular video check-ins via zoom and Blackboard to the professor, who will be monitoring their progress in real time while performing his excavations “alongside” the students.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: Field work. There will be no formal lectures or presentations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Instead, students will be expected to do a virtual “tailgate meeting” to start the day. We will all meet via Zoom to discuss the day’s operations and any potential hazards or concerns (best practice with any archaeological crew). Then students will continue with their application of the week’s lesson, with regular check-ins in via Zoom and Blackboard throughout the day.
The first week to two weeks will be spent conducting the necessary preparatory work before excavations. This will also provide time for students to collect or purchase the required equipment for excavations and verify the safety of their chosen dig site.
Class Content
Lesson 1: Preparation
811 – “Miss Utility” and hazard avoidance
PPE – Proper Protective Equipment
Tools – Survey and Excavation Tools for the well-stocked archaeologist (see list)
DIY Sifting Screen
Making do with what you have – improvising with field equipment.
Lesson 2: Familiarize yourself with the site
Initial Walkover
SHPO files and Historic Records Search
What artifacts and features should we therefore be watching for if we dig?
Common Artifact Categories: Lithic, Metal, Glass, Shell, Bone, etc.
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 3: Surveying the site.
Establish a datum and baseline
Practice using tape-and-compass
Grid the area
Map surface features
Practice pacing
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 4: The STP – Shovel Test Pit
Excavation Technique
Stratigraphy
Record Keeping
Bagging and Tagging
Soil Color, Texture, and Inclusions (Munsell)
Daily Field Notes
What do our STPs tell us about what to expect when beginning formal test excavations?
Lesson 5: Setting up a 1×1
Placing the test unit on a grid
Using the Pythagorean theorem to make a perfect square
Nails and String
Measurements, photos and notes before digging
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 6: Digging your first level
Picking the right tool
Removing the sod
Screening 101
Bagging and Tagging
Measurements, photos and notes.
Level Forms
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 7: Stratigraphic Excavations
Continue Excavations of 1×1
Proper Tool Use
Arbitrary vs. Natural or Cultural Strata
Checking depths with Line Level
Cleaning walls and floors
Watching for Features and Soil Changes
Taking Samples
Bagging and Tagging
Closing a Level
Measurements, Photos and Notes
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 8: Closing your unit
Subsoil
Looking for Features
Bioturbation
Plan Maps
Profile Drawings
Taking Samples
Measurements, Photos and Notes
Check, Check, and Triple Check all Bags, Tags and Paperwork
Unit Summary Form
Daily Field Notes
Lesson 9: Artifact Processing
Checking the Bag Log
To wash or not to wash? Cleaning different artifact types
Initial artifact classification
Counts, weights and measurements
Data Entry
Lesson 10: Preliminary Analysis and Report Writing
Parts of an archaeological field report
Create your own field report for the season
Integrate your Historic Research, Survey Data, Field Notes, Maps, Photographs, and Artifacts
Bonus Lesson 1: Excavation Photogrammetry
Documenting your excavations with simple photography to create a digital 3D model.
Bonus Lesson 2: Drone Photogrammetry OR Ground Penetrating Radar!
Using Remote Sensing techniques to survey landscapes for archaeological features.
Demonstration only (students are not expected to have their own drones or GPR).
This lesson will be inserted into the semester when appropriate.
Expectations:
Attendance and Participation:
Field Schools are supposed to be a bit like a training program for work. As such, attendance and participation are a large proportion of the grade. Students will be expected, just like a job, to be punctual, hard-working, and demonstrate a good attitude.
Field schools are collective experiences, where you also learn to work in a team. Students will be expected to not only be active in their own excavations, but supportive of their fellow students in their investigations.
Zoom:
All zoom sessions must include full video conferencing between all participants (no hiding your faces) and students will be expected to show up appropriately dressed, with full PPE, on days involving field work. Rain days will be negotiated as they occur. Students will be expected to speak and ask questions on-camera, both live via Zoom and in video recordings of their progress.
Blackboard:
Students will also be expected to check Blackboard (our online class management software) at least twice a day throughout the semester, to look for updates, download readings, answer discussion questions, etc.
Blackboard will also be used for your daily field notes. Part of your participation grade will be based on your daily field notes, which you will enter into Blackboard at the end of each session. They will help the professor and fellow students follow your progression, and they will also help you tremendously when you are writing your excavation summaries and final report.
Questions and Assignments:
Students will be required to answer weekly online questions. These will cover the obvious topics of the week. Consider them drills more than quizzes. Such questions or mini-assignments will be posted to Blackboard Discussion Forums and all students will be required to respond.
