May 8th second day of Flagler College Archaeology Program Field School

May 8th 2012 -  The Big Dig Begins Just an FYI, I am speaking with IT and others on what tool we should use to create a blog to capture our experience. I copied you on some bits from yesterday but today I would like to name names as it were. I am so grateful to the amazing "real" archaeology mentors/volunteers that we had shepherding us through the field method learning process. I feel as if we hit the jackpot with the people that have given us their time and knowledge. Clearly  their passion is to share their knowledge and to help us carry the torch and be best in class. So a heartfelt thank you to our mentors:

•  Toni Wallace 
• Dr. Jessica Veenstra 
• Carl Lindenfeld 
• Nick McAulaffe 
• Matt Armstrong  

Thank you all.  You have been patient, kind, and enthusiastic. You all are incredible and have a knack for sharing knowledge and more importantly sharing  your infectious passion. We are grateful to learn from people like you. I don't have the emails yet for our mentors so if someone does have them...please forward our appreciation.  We are grateful!

 Now, I would like to mention our fearless leader and wonderful Professor.  We all see that he cares about each and every one of us and has the patience of Job.  Hat tip to Dr. Bill Locascio.  Thank you for showing us how to do things the right way!!

 Team Doc L consists of:

•  Lorenzo Deagle 
• Brandy Ham 
• Nicholas Campbell 
• Nick Pearce 
• Eddie Lawton 
• Halee Grimes 
• Deb Shaw 

 A small but powerful team. I see great finds in our future and a lifelong bond because we have learned that it is hard work sweating, and swinging a pick axe and shoveling and screening dirt in 90 degrees of humidity. We are the "Doc Locascio's Dirt Dogs".

 Update for today.  We started the big dig. There are 3 teams and 3 areas. The mentors started an area as well so we have a total of 4 areas to dig in. Between all of us we found Pottery, Old Nails, Glass, Pipe Stems, Bullet casings, and one site found San Marco pottery shards which is very old Native American pottery, a Flint, and a metal pulley. Our plots are very nicely formed and squared and put to bed for the night with a plastic blanket. We worked hard, learned a lot and got a ton of exercise swinging picks and shovels.  At one point I think I had the vapors. I think we are learning but having a blast at the same time.  It doesn't get better than that. I also have some nice pics that I have posted on facebook.  Send a friend request to Deb Shaw from the Boston or AOL network if you wish to see the daily pics.  I sent some tweets out during the dig and if anyone has a twitter account lets keep sending tweets. I attached pics to the tweets. You can follow DebjShaw on Twitter. Best quote of the day, Halee Grimes...."I feel dusty.". :) See you tomorrow if I can move. Deb