The simplest and best form of advice, I find, when it comes to any physically or mentally demanding activity such as archeology comes in the form of a Russian proverb “Глаза боятся, а руки делают” or in English “the eyes see, the hands do”. As one approaches a difficult or momentous task one can easily be overwhelmed or intimidated by the sight or thought of the task itself, however once one begins to work away at it one finds that their hands are capable of so much more than they thought. In the beginning the sun will beat down relentlessly upon your back and the dirt and dust will cover your body, you may become injured and tired and pained but so long as you persevere you will accomplish your task and even you will be surprised. As for what is important to bring, I would say that a first aid kit and sunscreen are both vitally important as without them your task may only become more daunting. I would definitely spend the money on the trowel and I would be remiss in not advising the purchase of at least two water bottles, I myself had three, to allow you to keep going especially in the second half of the day. The first week and days are the hardest but once you one overcomes the first hurdle your body will begin to acclimate and everything will slowly come easier. I would recommend reading up on the period and especially on the site prior to going but aside from that I find it more fun to learn along the way.
If given a future opportunity to once again participate in another archeological excavation I imagine there’s a good chance I would take it up. History as a field presents itself as something of a puzzle where we don’t know what 90% of the pieces look like. There is so much that is potentially out there which could completely change how we understand entire societies which remains endlessly fascinating to me. My experience on the site did not lend me to such grand overreaching revolutions but regardless I know that everything I did, even if it all it does is add another data point to one paper, adds to this cumulated wealth of understanding that we have been building as a species for thousands of years. With the advent of our current technologies, now more than ever we are able to store and collect such understandings allowing us all to see those lost pictures with just a little more clarity. It is work which is helpful even if in a small way and even if not for many years still is real and physical and hard in a way much of the work I do is not. It also allows for an amount of cultural enrichment and adventure that I always appreciate on a personal level that compel me to believe I would take up such an opportunity.
From this experience I have learned in a different way the physicality and life that resides within history. At first seemingly frozen but on closer inspection still ever changing and alive. I learned from the layers of potshards the human response to disaster and from the bones the ever present cycle of existence that remains centuries after a site is abandoned. A history which is not fully contained within literature or arbitrary dates but with people who exist within but also throughout such concepts and pass on life beyond them. In short what I have learned is the how what and why of digging holes, conceptually, religiously and metaphysically.
What stands out to me immediately as the most memorable part of the experience would be quite simply the time I spent with my newfound friends. I had quite a lovely time getting to know the group and found quite excellent conversation which is oft difficult, I remember very well what we talked about and what we found while digging together and I am ever thankful and happy to have worked with such a fine group of people. In a more personal regard, however, what really stands out to me is the pseudo-wall I observed jutting out in a curved line towards the back-end of the project. My mind continues to wonder what it might look like deeper down and what else it might’ve had to say even if it were just wall-fall, about the structure and shape of the building.
After pondering on the experience for a while it remains difficult for me to say how the trajectory of my life has been impacted by it. I feel that I learned quite a bit about the area I was in and that I was able to spend some time in the field puzzling things out in a very different way than at university. I feel that my relationship with history has deepened albeit on a different axis but as for far reaching career and life goals I remain unsure. I think it’s an important part of the grander puzzle of discovering what I want but it wasn’t quite the hard and obvious answer I was seeking.