Field school students tend to excavate each vertical level by trowel and
screen the matrix from buckets, whereas CRMer's tend to take each vertical
level out by shovel skimming, fill the screen by  shovel, and only trowel
the bottom of the vertical level unless they recognize a feature within the
matrix.  I think the shovel physically hurts the field school students after
the first few days.  Consistent shovel skimming uses motion and muscle your
average person (unless a minority laborer) doesn't use often, takes a lot of
practice, pure physical stamina, good work ethic, and a pace:)  Its taken me
over a decade to master it, the callouses, and the chronic pain of
clay-shoveller's back:):):)

Dan Allen
Cumberland Research Group, Inc.
and
GRA; the Center for Historic Preservation

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Barna" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: What is an archaeologist?


> Howdy --
>
> This was an interesting comment implying that digging at a field school,
> which I've done at several places, is somehow diferent that CRM digging.
>
> Can someone explain to me the difference?  I gather from the statement
> that CRM digging might be faster, or someone different, but what kinds of
> shortcuts are you taking that differ from methods taught at arch field
> schools?
>
> Carl Barna
> Regional Historian
> BLM Colorado State Office
>
>
>
>  It
>> seems
>> most universities arent teaching students any practical skills to use
>> in
>> the CRM world of archy (where most of them will get their first job
>> upon
>> graduating).  They still teach field school excavation digging with
>> trowels...i.e., S L O W paced.
> Ah, the memory of Marshalltowns making that "ying, ying" sound as they
> are scraped across concrete hard dirt at the bottom of 5 foot squares
> in a broiling hot sun guaranteed to fry the brains of anything more
> sentient than a historian ;>))
>>   This doesnt exactly prepare graduates for
>> real CRM excavation....nor all the other skills required...as Iain
>> mentions.  There should be a 'trade school' type of course work...to
>> produce better prepared CRM workers.
>
>
> My tuppence worth.
>
> Lyle Browning
>