My days as an Archaeologist/Historian

Wow! When I look back at all the wonderful things we did this summer in Dig This! 08, I see how much fun we had while digging at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead. We found so many things, from ceramics, to a ring, to even pieces of a shoe, but what we found didn’t really matter, the only thing that mattered, was the experience that we all shared, and the knowledge that we gained. I really enjoyed visiting the accused witch’s home. I learned how to start an archaeological dig, and how to level. This skill will be very useful in the future, if I ever start to dig again, or if I become an archaeologist.

This summer, I also learned how to lead and work a group, more successfully. When we debated, I got the opportunity to lead the group. I got new leadership skills from this experience, one skill was listening. I learned to listen to other people’s ideas, before I decide which is wrong and which is right. When we reenacted that Bacon’s Rebellion Trial, and I got to act out the role of the governor, I got the skill of making decisions for a group (even though my decision didn’t make a difference in history), I also started to learn about point of view that way.

When we visited Harvard Yard, we got to examine artifacts that they found there. A skill I learned, was dating artifacts. I learned how to date bottles from the shape and size, I learned how to date pipe stems from their width and length. At the Rebecca Nurse Homestead we learned how to date artifacts, by the material the artifact was made out of, and the depth the artifact was found at.

Three new ideas that came across my mind during this course were: 1) Race is not biology 2) Americans want to own land, Native Americans want to live on the land 3) Archaeological findings are evidence of history. The idea of race not being part of biology came to my mind when we visited the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. The race exhibit was spectacular, and interesting. I had been told this before, but it really clicked when they showed how no one characteristic belongs to a single race, if their a characteristic that everyone in one race has, some people in other races, have it as well. I realized one of the main differences between Caucasian Americans and native Americans when we watched the movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, when the natives were pushed out of their land. I came across the idea of archaeology being the evidence of history, when digging at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead. When we found an artifact, it could conclude something like the people during the early 1900s ate peanuts, I know that is most likely a fact because I found a peanut in the 1900s level, if I were the first person to find proof that people of the 1900s ate peanuts (which I am not), I would be changing history by having evidence of a theory.

In the end, I realize that I am taking so much from this course, I learned new skills, I came up with new ideas, and I even got to do some archaeology! I learned that history isn’t just the past, history helps nations learn from mistakes, and history is alive today, people are still making history. I also have learned that My new friends will go back to California, Hong Kong, Canada, China, Florida or any of the other amazing places they came from, and remember this summer, just as I will. Phillips Academy Summer Session isn’t just “nerd camp” its a whole new experience with a beautiful campus, great teachers and diversity amongst the students. Oh, and I just realized that my title is incorrect, I will ALWAYS be a archaeologist and historian. Just because Phillips Academy Summer Session is over, doesn’t I can’t still start an archaeological site in my backyard, or I can’t study history. So, I honestly can say that I am looking forward to my future days as an archaeologist/historian!

One of our many group talks!

 

 

A typical lunch, we talk about our lives back home, and about the day's activities

 

 

Group work is great! I like working with my peers, because I get to see their point of view!

 

 

 

 

All of us at the dig!!!

Salem MA, what we saw and how we liked it

Wow, I cannot imagine sleeping in one of those bunk beds, they had on old ships! That is exactly what they did on the Friendship. The beds were so cramped, and so hard it must have been impossible to get a good night’s sleep. I learned a lot when we got on the Friendship model, I learned the parts of the ship, and I learned that the ship was captured by the British.

I can’t believe that children now play, where accused witches were once hung. Yes, they did build a playground on top of the infamous hanging tree. Why wouldn’t the town of Salem acknowledge this historic site? i think it is because, the witch trials were an awful thing, even though some people think of the hysteria as sort of a benefactor to Salem.

I also like visiting Mr. and Mrs. Carr. The amount of artifacts they found was about 10,000. Wow, that is a lot. The Carr’s have bottles, shells, and many other artifacts in their house. After we looked at the artifacts, we ate the delicious cookies that Mrs. Carr made from scratch and we asked questions. This final field trip, was probably the best one we went on (even though the others were fun too)!!

-Christine Farzan

Rebecca Nurse Homestead III

Can you imagine buying the home of your dead enemies? That is exactly what the Putnam family did, in 1784 (they owned it until 1908). After the Nurse family had lived at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead from 1678 to 1784.

On our 3rd trip to the homestead we got to visit the old graveyard. In the cemetery we saw graves belonging to the Nurse family, and surprisingly the Putnam family. The graveyard was very interesting. We also got to do some digging. I got the excavate the area near the door of the house. We didn’t find a lot, but it was a great experience. Ms. Blustain found a cat skull, which was very interesting. We also found some bones and miscellaneous objects. We also got to look at artifacts, and gather and describe facts and characteristics that it had.  This was a fun and interesting trip, I can’t wait to go back there.

-Christine E. Farzan

 

Harvard Peabody Museum! interesting yet entertaining

I really enjoyed the trip to the Harvard Peabody Museum located in Cambridge, MA. In the morning we did an activity, which involved wine bottles, and pipe stems. That was fun, because we learned the differences between artifacts, based on dates. Then we also took a tour around Harvard Yard. On the tour we learned a lot of history about Harvard University, and the Indian College, that was once there.

In the afternoon, after lunch, we went back into the museum. When we went back to the museum, we saw all the exhibits. My favorite exhibit was the Lewis and Clark exhibit. I saw a lot of the artifacts that they collected on their journey to the Pacific Ocean. I also learned about the Native American tribes, that they came across in their travels.

I also enjoyed the museum of natural history (which had models of animals) and the glass flowers. I thought it was so amazing that all of the flowers and plants were made of glass. Many of the students didn’t believe me when I told them about the glass flowers, but when they looked closer, they could see that the were glass.

I really enjoyed this field trip. If I could change one thing, it would be that we got to spend more time looking at the exhibits.

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead

On Saturday, Dig This! went to the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, MA. Rebecca Nurse was one of the oldest accused witches, during the Salem Witch Trials Hysteria. Her house is now the home of an archaeological excavation.

At the property, we got to try digging ourselves. I got to experience digging in the backyard, where all the trash was thrown away. In the spot we found glass, charcoal, chicken bones, pieces of ceramics, and surprisingly a peanut (that I found). The archaeologists thought it could have been 100 years old. Another important discovery that one of my classmates found was a huge piece of charcoal.

While we were digging, we got to do some of the things archaeologists do at excavations, such has digging ten centimeters, leveling and filtering artifacts and nature facts from rocks and dirt. We also listened to stories about other excavations, which were told to us by the young archaeologists.  I also enjoyed the gift shop. In the gift shop, I purchased many interesting things. 

In conclusion, I would like to share that i thought this was a positive experience. The day was very sucessful and I am looking forward to going back there.

 

OMG!!!!! SO MUCH FUN AT THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT MUSEUM!!!

Yesterday, we went to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, located in Mashantucket, Connecticut. There were many exhibits, such as the village exhibit, the race exhibit, and the movie. We also got to experience a powwow.