1) I am Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer. Woods Rat, Worker Ant and Half
Hic (rural western Libertarian type) and half 60s hippie. Claimed by
neither side. LOL I have been doing archaeology for a living for over
30 years. For the Forest Circus, I am hired to clear projects, not DO
archaeology. I have worked all over Idaho, Montana, Oregon,
Washington, and part of Alaska as well as the last 16 years in
Arkansas. On my own time, it seems I have somehow become a material
culture specialist. I really enjoy going to local, regional and
national Archaeological Society meetings where I can talk about
archaeology to people who are not bored by the subject. Also, I am a
member of quite a few archaeological organizations because I have
spent most of my life in the middle of nowhere and if I want journals
or books, I had better have my own copies. I have had good role models
in undergraduate Advisors (Warren Caldwell and Dale Henning) and my
Major Professor (Rick Sprague) concerning service to the discipline
and try to contribute what I can. I have been a member of this list
since the Spring of 1994. Most of my contributions are directly to
the posters and seldom to the entire list.
2) dirtiest moment in the field. Always dirty. Two wettest were 1a)
working for Oregon State Univ on an extension of the Roseburg Sewage
Treatment Facility. One week, it rained all day every day and we were
dressed like the Gordon's of Gloucester fisherman, 1b) Russian River
Campground in Alaska where the Russian River flows into the Kenai
River. When the rain stopped, the biting black flies would come out.
When the rain came back, so did the mosquito's. Two coldest were
monitoring a waterline from Orofino to Asaka on the Clearwater River
in January (Airforce arctic parka, two sets of long johns and lots of
wool barely made it survivable) and the silver Bridge dig on the North
Fork of the Payette for Boise State Univ. On several mornings we had
to clear off 6 inches to a foot of snow off our pits to start digging.
Once it froze almost 20cm deep during a break. Had to take that out
with picks and thaw it back at the house before we could screen it.
Most miserable - Brier patches (liberally sprinkled with Multi-flora
Rose, Hawthorne, and blackberry's) in the St. Francis National Forest
next to the Mississippi River in August. Brier chaps helped some but
sweat still dripping off the cuffs of your jeans. Two pairs of White's
and Grizzlies leather boots rotted off my feet the first two years.
Now I wear desert boots which dry quickly and provide air to my feet.
Survived a Brown Recluse bite working on David Chance's crew on Fort
Colvile on the Columbia. Have also survived Lyme Disease, chiggers,
ticks, yellow jackets, and even leeches. Have ungainly limped away
from the cottonmouths, rattlers, skunks, bear and feral pigs.
3) Practical gear depends entirely on the environment. Both good
leather boots and desert boots (possibly also jungle boots) for survey
and flat soled boots for excavation. A complete rain outfit that can
cover warm clothes. Avoid sythetics whenever possible. (I had a bout
with Hypothermia on the Idaho Panhandle Forest when my jeans and jean
jacket and cotton shirt got soaked.) Wool is heavy and bulky but will
retain most of its insulating value even when wet. Broad brimmed hat -
(I have aready had skin "pre-cancers" frozen off my ear and nose) and
sunscreen. Always carry a bandana (or four) for everything from
wiping off sweat to use as a sling for a broken arm (only had a badly
twisted ankle during survey so far). Dark colored clothes in northern
climates that help soak up the sun and warm you (trick learned from
logger buddies) and light colored clothes in hot sunny climates that
relect the sun. Long slevees in both cases.
Actual survival GEAR could take several pages. Pretty much blown my lunch time.
Smoke.
On 9/27/06, Anita Cohen-Williams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Since we have so many new people joining Histarch, I thought that we
> should all introduce ourselves.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Who are you?
>
> 2) Dirtiest moment in the field.
>
> 3) Your idea of the best dressed archaeologist, i.e. what practical
> gear should they be wearing?
>
> --
> Anita Cohen-Williams
> Listowner - HISTARCH, SUB-ARCH, SPANBORD
>
> Archaeology: Dig It!
> http://archaeology.wordpress.com
>
--
Smoke Pfeiffer
Absence of Evidence is NOT Evidence of Absence
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