Touch The Past - Join A Dig

by Marian Clark, President, ArchaeoExpeditions

It is Saturday, 6 a.m., the early cool of the day still lingers. You throw your day pack, boots and lunch into the car. The drive through the countryside inspires as you think about what lies ahead. Lies under the ground, that is!  You arrive at the archaeological site and join the others, a group of professionals, students and volunteers. They are all there for the same reason. Or are they?

Why do we get up early on a Saturday or spend our annual vacation at an archaeological dig getting very dirty, sunburned and even covered with mosquito bites? Because we are focused on discovery.  Professionals at the site are pursuing their research goals, students their studies, and volunteers their passion to learn more about the past. The site may be a local historic house or farmstead, or an ancient city half way around the world.

Wherever they are, archaeological sites invite us to learn, to work, to share experiences and to contribute to the greater knowledge of our material culture. It does not matter what the item is that you uncover that first time. It might be a broken piece of china, a fragment of a stone tool, a rusty nail. It will be thrilling because you will be the first person to touch that item since it was laid down in the ground. It puts you in direct contact with someone in the past – the owner or user of that object. By learning how to uncover and document artifacts uncovered in the ground, you will be helping to preserve the past to benefit the future.

Participating on an archaeological dig is a privilege, but not just for the "privileged few." It puts us in touch with people who share our values and who will become new friends, some for a lifetime. It takes us down new roads to stop in communities previously unknown to us. While many groups and families go on digs, most volunteers book into projects as individuals. By joining a dig, a solo traveler knows he will be met at his destination, have lots of new people to share his time with and return home with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.    

In 2001 ArchaeoExpeditions saw participants from around the globe converge on a small town in central Turkey. It became a home away from home for 25 strangers. One of them, Bill, summed it up, "There is no substitute for the opportunity to participate in a first rate archaeological project. When you combine this with the chance to live closely in a unique cultural community, it beats any travel or instructional experience I know of."  

Opportunities exist everywhere. Nestled in the rolling hills near Toronto, Canada, Adventures in Archaeology presents public programs for adults. One-week learning vacations bring the past to life as Dr. Bill Finlayson shares his 25 years of research in prehistoric aboriginal settlement of the region. In summer, combine canoeing in northern waters with rock art research in Saskatchewan. And when summer turns to winter, you can plan on rainforest ecology and archaeology in Belize – all the ingredients for stellar learning vacations. 

So how do you find out how to get on one of these projects? You can, of course, contact ArchaeoExpeditions, but I do suggest you start looking in your own backyard at the museum, university or historical society in your home town. Your local library may subscribe to Archaeology magazine and other publications that advertise digs. Enroll in a university or college introduction to archaeology program that has a field school component. Join your nearest archaeological society and participate in its activities. The Internet is an incredible research tool for identifying archaeological sites suitable for the amateur, the student and armchair traveler alike. 

Archaeological field work is not for everyone. General good health and stamina are important to get the most enjoyment out of your experience. If you are not up to long days of physical activity, there are many less demanding activities on a site that might be available such as drawing, photography, washing artifacts or making lunch for the group. So don't be shy, ask how you can get involved. It is possible to pursue your interest in archaeology. Touch the past and join a dig !

 Marian Clark is president of Ontario-based Cultural Expeditions MEC Canada Inc.