A Tree Lover's Take on Archaeologists

 

Resident tree hugger, Travis H.

I was excited to hear that 25 archaeologists were going to stay with me at the Santa Rosa Island Field Station for a week. I had been working on the Torrey pines for a week with only two other people to have conversations with.  So I was ready  for some new friends.The group was full of energy and there was not a quiet moment in the research station, literally not one. The students would take turns cooking delicious dinners for the group; and every night at least two people would offer me a plate of food. Dinner was composed of the most satisfying food after a taxing day of field work with a company of people that you won’t find anywhere else. After dinner there were interesting discussions about anthropology and selected readings. I had no background in anything related to this field but the group was patient enough to explain many of the topics they were sharing.

Watching these dirty and smelly students come in from a long hot day in the field testified to the amount of work they had done. Many of them just sat down their packs and began finishing their maps without cleaning up or taking a breather. These researchers were dedicated and focused on completing the task they were given, despite the sun burns, blisters, aches and pains.

By listening to individuals share stories of a site they discovered, it became evident that this is what they are most passionate about. I saw other people’s faces light up and smiles emerge as someone described an object they uncovered that day. I never thought I would become intrigued by buried rocks and shells! As the week progressed, a desire to learn more about the people who inhabited this wonderful island began to kindle inside of me.

Nights at the station were wild. These people would come even more alive after a long day of work. People are running up and down hallways, going on hikes to the beach, cracking jokes to each other and writing funny messages on the white board. These people were nonstop. They ate loads and loads of food, and yet were able to clean up the kitchen as though they never were near it.

Even though the backup generator went out on their first full day and the water level in the well was at a record low, this group of students and instructors were easy going and positive. Showers were few and far between (too few for specific people), and power outages throughout the evenings did not hinder this group from getting their work done while having a great time. 

This group of strangers came into my “house”, ate my food, and caused a power black-out. But now, many of them have become my friends. I would gladly let them stay with me in my real home, cook food for them, and sit with a head lamp in the dark sharing stories.

I am blessed to have been able to break bread at the same table with them.

Editor's note: Travis H. is a research Station Assistant on Santa Rosa Island. He is also an Environmental Science major at CSU Channel Islands. Travis and his team have counted 24,900 Torrey Pines, although I'm still not sure why. Before the Cabrillo College Archaeology field school descended on SRI, Travis was quietly residing on the island. I don't think it's a coincidence that he departed the island before our crew did. We thank him very much for his hospitality his help (and Cause H.'s help) in keeping the field station running for the duration of our stay.

A New Understanding of an Arch Site - by Violet N.

On July 4^th our survey crew re-located a site. They site was recorded as being a possible rock shelter with an unrelated shell midden and a portable mortar fragment. The record included a sketch map that was not oriented in any logical direction. The location description was difficult to follow and three drainages were searched before finding the site. We had already stopped directly searching for the site when we came across a lithic scatter. Our crew chief walked down the side of the hill and found the shell midden and possible rock shelter. Actually finding the site was anticlimactic, for the rock shelter was just a small cave in a rock outcrop. We decided to wait to record the site until the next day when we would have more time.

On July 5^th our crew returned to the site to update the previous record. We began surveying the site looking for artifacts and the boundary of the midden. We quickly realized that the midden was much larger than the initial site map indicated. The site occupies the side on a ridge at roughly a 45 degree slope. A drainage runs down the site creating a ditch. We marked the site and began mapping the outer boundaries. Pacing became difficult due to the steep slope, loose soil, and dense brush. The new boundaries, including the upper lithic scatter, ran 100 meters along the north/south transect and 55 meters along the east/west transect. After our sketch map was complete, our crew chief began mapping the boundary points with GPS unit. While doing this she saw the cutbank of the drainage that had been flagged for the exposed midden.

Up to this point, the midden had been on the surface and mainly small broken shell with much soil mixed in. The bottom of the cutbank exposed densely packed abalone shell with very little sol. The soil above the 30 cm of shell was incredible dense soil, the result of a landside. Above the landslide soil was the shell midden material that covered the surface of the site. This abalone pavement indicates a previous occupation of the site. Similar abalone middens usually date to the middle Holocene, several thousand years before present. Until further research is done, little more can be said definitively about the age of the abalone pavement.

Today’s survey and rerecording of the site has completely changed the nature of the site. The previous record understated the scope of the site and the resources present. The new record indicates a much longer occupation, and a more dynamic settlement pattern. The preservation and management of resources is dependent upon a full knowledge of what resources are actually present. Without this survey, the site was likely to be dismissed and overlooked. Now, the site can be handled in the appropriate, respected manner.

A Great Day of Survey - by Fernando

I should have worn that sunscreen… Those were the first thoughts that entered my head waking up. The echoes from the sun’s rays rippled through my arms, face, and neck, reminding me of the previous days exploits. The sounds of the early morning shuffle littered the hallway and made their way past my door and into my ears. It was 6:50 am. After getting dressed and putting my pack together, I made my way to the kitchen where about half the field school crew were eating, reading, cleaning, and doing all manner of things people do in the morning. My breakfast consisted of a half toasted bagel smothered in cream cheese and topped with salami. It was delicious. I stood and watched the wind blow through the trees behind the station from the kitchen window as I packed my lunch and steeped my tea. It was going to be a good day. I sat down on the hammock outside the kitchen door to get the info for the day and drink my tea. Hammocks are among my favorite things in the world, right next to ice cream and back rubs. With our teams sorted and survey areas divvied, we were ready to set out for the road.

Pack on my back and a lightness in my step, a smile formed on my face as I walked out the fence into the rest of the day. As we trekked down the road, Dusty spotted an island fox in the brush ahead of us, its ears poking out from behind a shrub, giving it away. As more of the group came up behind us, the fox trotted out from behind the bush and into a clearing. No bigger than a house cat, but 1000 times more adorable, the fox sat and watched us as we watched it, its ears winking in the early morning dew, it drew a collective “awwwwww” from everyone in the group, including myself. When everyone had their fill of the ridiculously photogenic fox, we started back on our way to our survey area. 

The path included, but was not limited to, a steep, rocky incline and a road crossing several gradients. Almost immediately after reaching our first transect spacing, we came across a handful of lithic artifacts, which were primarily flakes. Initially, while conducting our transects, we only found the occasional isolated artifact and not much else, however, before reaching the end of our boundary, we stumbled across a lithic scatter that included several flakes consisting of multiple materials, including mudstone, quartz, local chalcedony, and meta-volcanic rocks, and a few scattered shells. After we mapped the area but before we began our next transect, Chris and Terry came bounding over a ridge towards our lines. They joined us for the remainder of the survey and dropped some knowledge on us in regards to identifying materials. About 5 minutes into our next transect, Terry found an immaculate biface, and not half an hour later, the site was littered with colored pin-flags. We found a pestle, a dart, flaked tools, and a core, among debris that numbered at about 80+. When the day ended and we began our descent back to the station, I had learned how to conduct a survey, map a site, create a record of the site, and how to identify and classify different types of artifacts and assemblages. We then celebrated the signing of the declaration of independence with burgers, beer, cake, and music. It was a great day.

Rising - by Kate R.L.

Rise. That is what has been going through my mind since I left orientation on the 6^th of June. Today I learned that I can; I learned that I did. Today I rose far above any expectation I could have had for myself, for what life can be, and for the tribe we became today, together, on this most lovely day on Santa Rosa Island. We came yesterday from different lives and different backgrounds, early in the morning, to embark on an educational journey. Tonight, we are a tribe, a group of people who are working together to survive and to work toward some thing better.

           

We started the day preparing for something that, at least myself could only try to imagine. A trip to an archaeological site started off a day that would become the most amazing experience of my life. There we learned about several things including, why we do cultural resources management (CRM) and how it can be used to protect important past record, rock types common (and not so common) to the local area, and even a short lesson on the use of gypsum datura amongst the local population for spiritual purposes.

Next we visited another archaeological site and together worked to improve the record kept about that site. After lunch and a short discussion, we visited a pygmy mammoth, and from there embarked on a brisk walk that included several more sites, the torrey pine forest, and a brief overview of  the area we will be surveying during our remaining time on the island.

This is the most strenuous hike on which I have ever been. It tested my strength, stamina, mental, and spiritual fortuity. It did that for most of us, if not all, so far as I can tell. But we rose. We rose above everything and we stood on top of the world together. Every single one of us is better for this day. From those of us who have been doing this for years to those of us who are just starting out, we conquered something today, and we became a community.

Now, as I sit here writing this blog with a smile on my face and in my heart that just won’t stop, smelling the delicious dinner my tribe is preparing to nurture our hungry bodies; I am more proud of myself than I have ever been and I am flying. I am so grateful for these wonderful souls who have come with me on this journey of self discovery and high demand of academic learning. We have all risen so high we can fly. Education of the mind and one’s self are the wings that can take you anywhere you wish.

But alas, farewell, I must go be with my most wonderful tribe and community, break bread and be merry.

First Day of Field School - by Nick G.

So today we met at the Ventura harbor around 7 am. As it turned out most of the boxes of food and supplies we had did not meet the maximum weight requirement of 45 lbs, many of them were between 60-113 lbs. We loaded the boat and left the harbor around 8ish. The boat ride was like any standard boat ride, smooth sailing with a few bumps, but nothing serious. On the way to Santa Cruz Island, to drop off some hikers and campers, we ran into a large pod of common dolphins. I have seen pods of dolphins, but dang was that a lot of dolphins. We hung out in the pod for around 10 minutes or so watching them come and play by the boat.

After stopping at Santa Cruz Island, we ran into a small pod of bottle nose dolphins, that were jumping completely out of the water and playing in the boats wake. First time I have ever seen dolphins full on clear the waters surface. While boating on by Santa Cruz island we passed a small rock formation jutting out of the water and Dusty informed us that, Jon Erlandson explored a cave and found a first of its kind: a swordfish sword. Someone literally took a swordfish bill carved and sharpened it, put a handle on it and used it as a sword. Another passenger who was not with the field school had snapped a picture of a flying fish while it was still in the air.

Once we arrived on the island we were going to be working and staying on, we found out that we could only have 4 tents, so no students could have tents but the crew chiefs were allowed to. Since we only had an afternoon, we just learned basic compass skills, and how to create a field map of an archaeological site without modern technology. It was quite a challenge but it wasn’t as hard as I had thought. We had first learned how far our pace was by walking 200 meters and divide it by the amount of steps we took to complete it, mine was .77 meters per step. After learning basic field tech skills, we went across a gorge and checked out a shell bead midden, and some various shell middens.

We also had a talk about ethics and proper etiquette when dealing with archaeological sites. We learned that it can be disrespectful to take photographs of remains without the expressed consent of the tribe. We also looked at olivella shell beads and the micro drills used to make them.

So far the field school has been pretty dang fun. It is an awesome experience, hiking through waist high brush traversing cutbacks down an incredibly steep hillside. It is a lot of hard work, but makes getting back into the lodge much more rewarding knowing that you hiked up a mountain only to come down it off-trail.