The activities today were done with an eye toward next week and the beginning of excavation. Students continued to refine our understanding of the site patterning. Groups working in separate areas worked towards each other, eventually meeting and joining together zones of intensive survey. Even though it was hot, enthusiasm was high as we began to see clear paths or lanes and 
continued to make exciting finds.Students also learned about mapping with a Total Station, an electronic surveying device. A few students had a turn holding the rod for measurements to be taken. The Total Station is a great tool for laying out a grid over the entire site. The grid will help us keep track of the provenience of surface collections and map the site in detail. Steve Scheflow earned the “intrepid archaeologist” award for helping lay out the site grid across the backswamp.
Steve Scheflow planting a flag
In the lab, students tried their hand at drawing artifacts. They used charts to figure out the diameter of vessels and experimented with ways to determine how to orient rim sherds. The orientation of rims can give us a good idea of the shape of the vessel, and the rim diameter gives us an idea of the vessel size.
Cailin Meyer is prepared
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