Chapter 29: ANTHRO 256; Field Work

The dig began like all digs. Before the crew arrived, a USGS survey marker was located. This one happened to be at the junction of Co. 210 and US 550. The Elevation and North were stamped on the cap of the marker. Declination from magnetic north was listed. The marker was dated 1920.

Davis supplied his own 'pit boss.' Steve was a professional who ran his own archaeological survey crew. They mostly did foot survey for the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. They also worked as consultants for assorted mines. Steve was an excellent 'pit boss.'

The summer work for Davis was Steve's 'Busman's Holiday.' Steve was responsible for training the nominal sophomores in proper survey techniques.

Transits were used to discover the actual elevation of the base of the cliff where David, Wendy, Rachael and Kimberley had landed by parachute so many years in the past. (If you haven't read STOPWATCH and AFTER THE FALL you will have no idea what happened and why Wendolyn chose this particular spot.)

GPS was just coming into it's own. But the conventions must be observed if a site were considered to be authentic.

Authentication is all! Without it, their dig would be just another amateur pothunter hole in the ground. Davis was Principal Investigator. He didn't have to actually BE resident on the site ... he HAD to be responsible. It was he who would secure publication if there was a significant discovery.

David and Wendy were listed as Master's Candidates. Master's candidates had to write papers showing a mastery of the science. Ph.D. seekers had to present NEW material.

Ethnocentrism has always reared it's ugly head when discussing sites outside the United States of America.

"Forty four thousand BCE?" the Anthropology professor scoffed.

"In South America?" a second Anthropologist specializing in Archaeology asked.

"Yes, yes, yes. So you say. But what facility did the Carbon 14 dating? How was it collected? Who were the witnesses? Were there any American scholars on the dig? No? I'm afraid we, academia, must deny your claims. Your authenticity is in doubt." You have to understand, British Anthropology treated American scholars exactly the same way until a few Brits accompanied the Americans on their expeditions.

Authentication is what puts science in textbooks.

David and Wendy were very careful with Authentication. That Wendy already KNEW what she was going to find didn't count one whit. The forms must be observed. Meter plots were measured, surveyed and documented.

Each excavator worked a 2 meter by 2 meter square, 5 centimeters deep at a time. 2 meter squares were designated by number. One NE (first 2 meter plot, north east corner.) One NW (first 2 meter plot, north west corner) One SE (first 2 meter plot, south east corner.) One SW (first 2 meter plot, south west corner.) There were five 2 meter plots.

One excavator per plot, one screener. Alternating days the excavator would screen, the screener would excavate. The nominal sophomores were actually paying for the experience ... this was summer school.

At the end of the dig, Davis would make his recommendations to State, State would award 12 credit hours towards a BS degree. Because Davis was Professor Emeritus, (good guy but retired) he was able to work with and for Colorado. Since Wendy, through her donations, was paying the whole shot, this was free gravy for both the Museum and the University.

During the dig, paying volunteers interested in Archaeology would spend as little as a week or as much as the entire season puttering, getting in the way, or crying to Davis about their 'mistreatment." The worst complainers not only came back year after year, they brought wives and offspring.

Volunteering was NOT cheap: A week cost FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! Oddly enough, Davis got to keep twelve hundred as pocket change. The three hundred went for food. Alcohol was by choice and extra. The longer a volunteer stayed the less each week cost. An entire summer session was $7,500.00 for adults and $5,000.00 for children less than college age. Davis, ever the politician, had a waiting list of volunteers.

Their second week, the site was inundated with 'observers, daytrippers and State officials.' Everyone wanted to see the result of the 'fuss' in court.

The court had decided, along with Mike having the right to sell the land, that Wendy had a single season to 'perform miracles' and prove her theory. If the site proved out she could close construction of the dam and housing for seven to ten years while the site was cleared. If nothing was uncovered in this first season, the dam and housing could proceed. The decision was already on the docket for Appellate Court.

In the first week, the nominal sophomores arrived, the National Guard arrived, Davis arrived.

First things first. The Guard showed everyone how the generator worked. The walk-in Refer was propane operated and already cold. The Cooks gathered money from Wendy and anyone who wanted beer and ice and went to Wal-Mart. Food was stored in the refer.

The Guard instructed everyone the proper way (read Military) to set up the 'gigamungus' tent ... it WAS gigamungus, too.

(Gigamungus. Verb, sometimes Noun. Large. syn. gigantic, huge, enormous, big. Source: David's Dictionary of Homemade Terms.)