Some people think that archaeology is a really specialized field, that the skills you learn can only be applied to very specific situations. And yes, I have learned specialized skills such as the proper way to hold my trowel when excavating and how to determine if a fragment is pottery or just a rock, but I have also learned and cultivated skills and characteristics that are applicable to so many aspects of life.
Teamwork and communication are the two skills that I think are most valued and cultivated working on an archaeological dig. You end up relying on the people around you and valuing the opinions and attributes of others. On our site, we are trying to uncover the story of this place that we are digging up. Everyone has different ideas and thoughts based on the work that they are doing and we are trying to fit all of those pieces together, which by definition requires collaboration. At least in my unit, we do a lot of ‘hey look at what I have uncovered, how do you think it fits to what they are doing?’ No one can figure this out by themself because you can’t put a puzzle together without all of the pieces. And that is what archaeology is–one big puzzle.
You also rely on your teammates when you are unsure of something. I am constantly turning to my unit mate and asking her to come and look over what I am doing or asking her to check out a particular fragment I have unearthed. “Is this pottery or just a pottery-looking rock?, “It’s just a rock!” This is an example of a frequent question that comes up in our unit. I want a second opinion on things that I am unsure about.
Another skill that I think we are all learning and practicing while on this dig is how to be flexible and ok with the unknown. Archaeology is a field that is ever changing. The discovery of a new wall can change the entire story that you have created of a particular place. We have had to adapt our ideas and opinions about what is going on in our site day by day as we excavate new areas and as things change. You never know what the next day will bring and that is one thing I love about archaeology. The mystery and the constant possibility of making new discoveries are exhilarating.