Ella

Closing time Spring 2018

Post #4

Today was the last day of lab for the spring semester… and I don’t know quite how I feel about it. On one hand, I’m glad the semester is coming to a close and summer is just around the corner. And then on the other hand, I’ll have to take a three month break with the collection. It’s a bittersweet day because I think we all had similar feelings. The day was also busy with artifact processing and visitors. The first visitor of the day was the Dean, Latonya Williams. We put on a show-and-tell in the lab and gave her a brief overview of our experience working in the lab. Later we were visited by Diane Abrams, Mary, and a whole lot of photos from the original excavation! They had been a part of the original excavation in the 1970’s-1980’s. The photos they brought included group shots, what the excavation looked like, and the inside of their lab. It was a much bigger room than what we work in today. It was also interesting to hear stories about the excavation and what the experience meant to the. And of course, archaeology has changed a bit since those days, but it was still great to hear about their methods. I was also able to use a technique I learned in Prof. Paskey’s Anth 323 class today when we came across a toothbrush handle made of animal bone. We were already quite positive that bone was its composition, but I used the lick-test technique to confirm it. It was kind of gross, but there wasn’t any taste to it even though it was a 200 year old ish bone haha. Now that I’ve used this technique successfully once, I wont be as hesitant to use it again in the future! But for now, it's time to pack up until the fall! Until next time CRAWL!

First Anthro Conference!

Post #3

My first anthro conference is in the bag! SAS conference at Sac State was a success! I was nervous about presenting because it was my first time, but also excited because it was going to be my first time presenting with the crawl team at an anthropology conference since I changed my major to anthropology. We listened to others present about food waste, field schools, ethnographic studies, and papers all pertaining to archaeology at large. There was a plethora of anthropological minds in the room that day and it was such neat experience to be among these voices. I like public outreach. I’ve grown into my voice over the years and I’ve become more comfortable with public speaking. My drive home really got me thinking and excited for our next conference - the AAA conference is coming up in November and I’m already looking forward to it!

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

Post #2

The Sacramento Anthropology Association (SAS) is having a conference in April and today, March 9th, we brainstormed ideas for our abstract. We all decided that we would split our content up into two parts, but still forming one cohesive presentation. The focus would be specifically showing how CRAWL has provided all of us an outlet to explore historical archaeology, learn lab techniques and an overall appreciation for archaeology. We’ll also briefly go into how important it is to be involved and connected and aware of historical archaeology, a facet of archaeology that can be overshadowed by the prehistoric varieties at large. To illustrate this, we will be giving examples of how we’ve participated in the program and been inspired to take on other opportunities whether that’s a job as a tour guide, transfering to a university, or even just diving deeper into our interests!

We also hosted a prospective student today. This gave the whole team the opportunity to show-and-tell everything about our lab and the background of our site. Some of us brought out artifacts and others brought out tools and items like the master catalog and map of the site. It was exciting to be in a room of people who were all passionate about the same project and learning more about our local Sacramento history through our project. I was once a prospective student wandering around the anthro expo when I first heard of this opportunity. Sharing the CRAWL experience with a fellow student was definitely one of the highlights of the day. And coincidentally it applies to some of the themes from our abstract! I’m glad that our team was able to share our experience and passion for this project. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Catalogs, Polish, and Glass Oh My!

Post #1

Today, 1/26/2018, was my first day with Crawl. After first hearing about this opportunity from the anthro expo last fall, I was immediately interested! The chance to work with +100-year-old artifacts hands-on in an archaeological lab? Count me in! Although I admit that my perception of archaeology at the time was a little grandiose, my passion for learning about the past was sparked. Fast forward to where I’m at now, and no, I’m not wearing a cool hat and trained in various weaponry for a treasure hunt (but also how cool is the nickname “Indy-Ella Jones!”) Instead I’m learning something far more relevant and valuable. I learned the basics of cataloging an artifact and how to properly label them so each piece doesn’t go without context. I even got to label one myself! It may seen meticulous and minor, but being a part of of the recording process for local Sacramento, historical artifacts is not something everyone can say, However, for our CRAWL team, it is!

Alannah | Ella | James | Nikki | Pearl