Digging in the Dirt. Attending an archaeological field school. Neil & Karen Peterson

Digging in the Dirt Attending an archaeological field school Neil & Karen Peterson

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours Do It Yourself

Introduction Neil needed a field school for degree Karen wanted to dig in the dirt Both are into Vikings Explored different schools Gotland, Dan Carlsson Vatnsfjörður, Iceland, NABO (Karen Milek) Rousay, Orkney, NABO (Steven Dockrill) Achill, Ireland, MIAI (Rory Sherlock)

Why this field school? Timeframe suited our schedule Academically acceptable to WLU Content most likely to be Viking Run for over 20 years Fröjel excavations Accepts non-students Mostly positive reviews

Field school details Housing at residential school Meals included Breakfast at school Lunch at local hotel Supper at local hostel Transport from school to dig included Tour transport included Booze you had to buy yourself Archaeologists drink like fish

Gotland Background Inhabited since stone age 380 bronze age stone ships Stone mounds

Gotland Background Inhabited since stone age 380 bronze age stone ships Stone mounds 2000+ Iron Age houses Roman sites (7000+ coins)

Gotland Background Inhabited since stone age 380 bronze age stone ships Stone mounds 2000+ Iron Age houses Roman sites (7000+ coins) Medieval Sites Houses

Gotland Background Inhabited since stone age 380 bronze age stone ships Stone mounds 2000+ Iron Age houses Roman sites (7000+ coins) Medieval Sites Houses Visby (city & battle site)

Gotland Background Viking, Viking, Viking! 400+ picture stones

Gotland Background Viking, Viking, Viking! 400+ picture stones 250,000+ Viking coins Silver hoards Fröjel Paviken Houses Graves

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours Do It Yourself

First Dig: Slite Why Slite? Few Viking ports, all on west coast Existing Viking graves in town 17 th century maps identify Barlastplats [ballast place]

First Dig: Slite Why Slite? Few Viking ports, all on west coast Existing Viking graves in town 17 th century maps identify Barlastplats [ballast place] Gamla Hamn [old harbor] 2m rise in land since V.A. (isostasy) Dig focused on places Above 2m elevation No construction since 1600

First Dig: Slite Map of Slite with tentative settlement location (Petterson 2009, fig 20). Image Copyright Dan Carlsson, 2009

First Dig: Slite Goal: Identify depth and parameters of Viking layer Student groups in multiple locations Test pits (1m x 1m, up to 2m x 3m) Champagne for first Viking coin Result: Complete & Utter Failure

First Dig: Slite Teams Set by length of dig Scattered in town Kinds of instruction Digging

First Dig: Slite Teams Set by length of dig Scattered in town Kinds of instruction Digging Sieving

First Dig: Slite Teams Set by length of dig Scattered in town Kinds of instruction Digging Sieving Cleaning Cataloguing

First Dig: Slite Teams Set by length of dig Scattered in town Kinds of instruction Digging Sieving Cleaning Cataloguing Patience Ask Questions!

First Dig: Slite What we found Nothing definitely Viking Pottery (and porcelain)

First Dig: Slite What we found Nothing definitely Viking Pottery (and porcelain) A 1940s midden With Viking shoe cream

First Dig: Slite What we found Nothing definitely Viking Pottery (and porcelain) A 1940s midden With Viking shoe cream Viking Grave

First Dig: Slite What we found Nothing definitely Viking Pottery (and porcelain) A 1940s midden With Viking shoe cream Viking Grave No wait 1800s well

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours / Lectures Do It Yourself

Intermission: the hoard Finished Slite early CRM Archaeology Field to crayfish pond First level - walk field 10m lines with metal detector Result: 10 localized Viking coins More than 2 is a hoard Requires more detailed work

Intermission: the hoard Backhoe 10cm levels, 20m 2 Remove soil scan spoil Scan new ground Remove coins Record location (GPS) Look for habitation Post holes

Intermission: the hoard Results 70 coins, 2 pieces jewelry 1015-1020 AD Original deposit intact 2-3 cm below ground Still visible Lost or sacrifice? No habitation (farming) Archaeology or treasure hunting?

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours Do It Yourself

Second Dig: Helvi Why here? Photo: Dr. Martin Rundkvist, Aardvarchaeology Mask found 30 years ago Illegal metal detecting Corner of known house Odd Iron Age house Usually 2 houses, here 1 Why a roman mask? Museum Dig 10 people, 1 week Fieldschool help 24 people 2 weeks

Second Dig: Helvi Museum dig 1 x 8m trench east wall Covered 2 corners Test pit in center 1m x 1m Understand habitation layers Test pit found artefacts Expanded several times

Second Dig: Helvi Fieldschool dig 4 x 8m trench - west wall Covered other 2 corners No find in any corner Check inside house Check outside (refuse pit)

Second Dig: Helvi What we found Lots of animal bones

Second Dig: Helvi What we found Lots of animal bones Silver spiral

Second Dig: Helvi What we found Lots of animal bones Silver spiral Beads

Second Dig: Helvi What we found Lots of animal bones Silver spiral Beads Migration Era Knife

Second Dig: Helvi What we found Lots of animal bones Silver spiral Beads Migration Era Knife Blackware pottery Stone wall

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit Silver ingots, horn mounts

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit Silver ingots, horn mounts Arm ring

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit Silver ingots, horn mounts Arm ring Stick pin

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit Silver ingots, horn mounts Arm ring Stick pin Bone spindle whorl

Second Dig: Helvi What they found A bronze/silver hoard Via the test pit Silver ingots, horn mounts Arm ring Stick pin Bone spindle whorl Hearth Wooden post

Second Dig: Helvi What was it Photo: Dr. Martin Rundkvist, Aardvarchaeology Hoard: Roman Iron Age 200-400AD Other finds: Migration Era 400-550 AD Retirement home of Roman soldier?? Likely long habitation Possible other houses Pre-roman??

Second Dig: Helvi Medieval House Found 2 stone boats & medieval house One afternoon (done early) 1 x 2m trench across wall Found: Nails, ceramics (1600-1750), flint Clay pipe stem (1720-1750) Wall, possible floor bits Not on 1695 map Conclusion: 1720-1750 house

The Digs: What we learned De-turfing, re-turfing Layers and levels Sieving Object identification Basic classification Basic cleaning Profile drawing Theodolite Patience

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours Do It Yourself

Tours Most of you are tired of the Viking sites Four tours, on weekend Optional addition No charge Except for meals, purchases

First tour Visby museum

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy)

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships Fröjel

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships Fröjel Vallhagar

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships Fröjel Vallhagar Ange farm

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships Fröjel Vallhagar Ange farm Gervide

First tour Visby museum Högklint (foggy) Three stone ships Fröjel Vallhagar Ange farm Gervide Bara Parish

Second tour File Field walking Possible dig site Abandoned farm Looking for early house Studied contours, land use

Third tour - Larbro Field walking Possible dig site Multi-use site Stone Age graves Iron Age houses Viking houses Medieval houses

Fourth tour Trullhalsar

Fourth tour Trullhalsar Tjelvar s Grav

Fourth tour Trullhalsar Tjelvar s Grav Fornborgar

Evening Lectures 7 evening lectures Christoph Kilger Hoards & gender Gunilla Runesson - Mounds & settlements Johan Norderäng & Margreta Christon Västergarn Michael Jonsson - Coins Joakim Wehlin - Stone ships Gustaf Svedjemo - Iron Age landscape Dan Carlsson - Eastern connection

Agenda Introduction First dig: Slite Intermission: the hoard Second dig: Helvi Tours Do It Yourself

Digging in Yourself Be flexible details are last minute School details just going up now Budget/plan Airfare to Sweden (Icelandair): $1200 Train to Ferry, Ferry: $160 School Fee: $3000 Additional Money:???? Weekend lunches, hotel layovers Layover in Iceland? Layover in Stockholm?

Digging in Yourself - Resources Our trip http://www.treheima.ca/gotland_2011.html Review of this fieldschool http://www.darkcompany.ca/articles/fieldschool.php Gotland fieldschool website http://www.gotland-fieldschool.com/

Digging in Yourself - Resources List of Fieldschools http://www.shovelbums.org Other Fieldschools http://www.nabohome.org/fieldschools/vatnsfjordurfieldschoolflyer2012. pdf http://www.achill-fieldschool.com/faq/

Questions? Contact Us neil@treheima.ca kitten@golden.net