In my experience, archaeology is a mixture of many professions uncovering and crafting a deeper understanding of a culture at different periods of time. It is a process of continuously getting down and dirty in order to find out what something may be. At the same time everyone else is also there trying to figure it out with you. During the archaeological experience, there is a call for necessary attention to details of many sizes. There might be a column, a small piece of pottery, or just 100% rock located beneath our feet. Each find might not be considered as glorious as some of the things dramatically found by Indiana Jones but the small finds are just as important when trying to understand a community. Particularly for my trench, we have two walls butting up against each other—one made with more intention than the other— and our pottery finds will hopefully help date those walls. It is a learn as you go experience that may not necessarily lead you to fitting all the pieces together. The information collected now will continue to expand and allow us to see a larger picture. As each day passes, the goal for archaeology is to create hypotheses and revise it as we, archaeologists, learn more about our own site.
It is amazing to have the opportunity to discover primary sources of what once was there and become the first person to see it coming into light once again. Additionally, being able to contribute my own talents and gain insight into the more of the anthropological side of archaeology. Even if the answer to what we are excavating is not found, all the work put in will essentially contribute to understanding the people and culture of the site. Plus, archaeology gives one a reason to start licking dirt which parents attempt to prevent children from doing during childhood.