Wednesday, November 6, 2013

UNM 2013 Fall Field School - Day Eleven in Chaco

By Leon Natker


Today is our last full day on site in Chaco Canyon.  Last night was the coldest it has been so far.  The park service says it was somewhere around zero.  When you’re sleeping in a tent in a sleeping bag that is really cold.  We were all up early because of the cold to have breakfast and warm up in the kitchen.  We loaded up the trucks at 7:00 AM and headed out to the field.  The sky was clear all day so the sun came out and warmed us all up quickly.  It still only got up to 48 degrees.
There are many important things that have to be done on an archaeological site before you can leave the site. We can’t just dig holes and walk away.  All the units have to be backfilled. Backfilling is putting the dirt you dug out back in.  We do this so no one can vandalize the site and also so that archaeologists in the future can come back to the same spot and do further research.  In fact another field school from UNM might come back in the future to continue working where we did this year.  In addition to backfilling we have to make sure that every feature we found is correctly mapped.  This is very important on this site because there are both historical features and prehistoric features.  We have encountered both of them and need to keep a good record for all future research done on the site.  Jennie Sturm leads the way with the total station, mapping coordinates of every feature we found. Each unit also has to draw a plan view map, that’s like a bird’s eye view and then a profile of each of the walls showing all the different layers of soil we dug through. We also have to map coordinates for all the artifacts we found on the surface and then collect them. One of the great things about working in the field is how much of a family everyone becomes.  We all help each other to accomplish all of these jobs. In one day you might do four or five different jobs on a site.  For example today I started out collecting artifacts we had found on survey Monday, then I worked with Jennie to map features found all around the site. Then I helped Josh back fill the two units we had excavated. Then I went back to help Jennie map some other sites that had been found.  You see there is never a dull moment on an archaeological site. We really do become a family.  We take turns cooking dinner for each other, we help keep our living space clean and when it’s cold we all gather together in the kitchen, warm up and share stories. It’s a lot of fun and I know everyone will miss it when it’s over.
Pueblo Bonito and Pueblo Alto from South Mesa

Tonight we are getting a special treat. G.B. Cornucopia is the Park Service interpreter who specializes in the night sky.  He has invited all of us to the observatory for a special talk on the stars and to give us each chance to have a look through the telescope. We’re all very excited about this opportunity. You have to spend the night in Chaco Canyon at least once to really appreciate how beautiful the sky is. We have been out here since the last full moon, now the moon is almost gone so you can see the Milky Way clearly.  Almost every night someone sees a shooting star.  It’s another part of what makes Chaco Canyon so special. Whether or not you want to be an archaeologist, visiting Chaco Canyon is an experience everyone should have.  I’ve included a picture from our hike yesterday that shows Pueblo Bonito and New Alto from South Mesa.  It’s just another of the many wonderful things to see here.  I know all of us will miss being here, it is a really extraordinary place. We will all value this experience in a special way.  Not just because it has been a remarkable learning experience with great teachers but because it is one of the most unique places to visit anywhere on this planet. 

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