Clank! Chank! Shfft. Shhhffffft.
As I carefully made my way into what is theorized to be an unused trench, I expected to just be sweeping up decades of dirt and pulling out stubborn roots embedded into the earth. Instead, I found treasure. You're probably thinking "Gold? A gem? What could possibly be valuable in an old unused military trench?".
Sweeping away the loose dirt and avoiding the plethora of strange bugs I haven't encountered before, I noticed a sharp, odd colored piece sticking out from the stratum. My eyes opened with excitement and I soon recognized that it was a broken piece of pottery. As there is a runner's high, I've encountered an "archaeologist's high". There is something so raw, primal and beautiful about discovering a piece of history from hours of digging and sweeping. As I held it in my hand, I imagined about who made this pot, what broke it, why was it in this trench, what was it apart of and many other questions. The rush I felt is completely indescribable. I had never thought sweeping up dirt would be so exhilarating. I had felt a sense of commitment to continue being gentle around the area, as Heidi (our wonderful GSI) mentioned that there might be other pieces around it. And I did, but so did others, which was still exciting even if I didn't discovered it.
Being so accustomed to seeing remnants of history in a glass case in a museum and reading about it, I now have felt what it's like being on the other side, being the presenter rather than the viewer. By the time we had to pack up, I had to say goodbye to my discoveries, daydreaming about my name perhaps on a plaque in a museum. I'm excited to see what others discover in that trench, and finding out about the dating of these pottery pieces.
Here is a picture of my treasure. I hope you get an archaeologist's high too :)
As I carefully made my way into what is theorized to be an unused trench, I expected to just be sweeping up decades of dirt and pulling out stubborn roots embedded into the earth. Instead, I found treasure. You're probably thinking "Gold? A gem? What could possibly be valuable in an old unused military trench?".
Sweeping away the loose dirt and avoiding the plethora of strange bugs I haven't encountered before, I noticed a sharp, odd colored piece sticking out from the stratum. My eyes opened with excitement and I soon recognized that it was a broken piece of pottery. As there is a runner's high, I've encountered an "archaeologist's high". There is something so raw, primal and beautiful about discovering a piece of history from hours of digging and sweeping. As I held it in my hand, I imagined about who made this pot, what broke it, why was it in this trench, what was it apart of and many other questions. The rush I felt is completely indescribable. I had never thought sweeping up dirt would be so exhilarating. I had felt a sense of commitment to continue being gentle around the area, as Heidi (our wonderful GSI) mentioned that there might be other pieces around it. And I did, but so did others, which was still exciting even if I didn't discovered it.
Being so accustomed to seeing remnants of history in a glass case in a museum and reading about it, I now have felt what it's like being on the other side, being the presenter rather than the viewer. By the time we had to pack up, I had to say goodbye to my discoveries, daydreaming about my name perhaps on a plaque in a museum. I'm excited to see what others discover in that trench, and finding out about the dating of these pottery pieces.
Here is a picture of my treasure. I hope you get an archaeologist's high too :)
-Lauryn Lu
(coming to a museum near you) (hopefully)
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