HOW ARCHAEOLOGICAL CREWS LIVE

MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO VARIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AND SURVEYS. I HAVE LIVED IN ABOUT 15 STATES. IT HAS BEEN TRYING USUALLY MY CREW EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN FUN AS WE FORMED NEW COMMUNITIES IN NEW STATES AS WE WORKED IN PART TIME POSITIONS. IN NEW YORK I LIVED WITH WITH SEVERAL CREWS AS WE EXCAVATED A NUMBER OF HISTORIC SITES NEAR URBAN AREAS AND SOME IN THE COUNTRY. THE WOMEN LIVED IN ONE LARGE ROOM ON SLEEPING BAGS ON THE FLOOR. WE COOKED SEPARATELY IN THE KITCHEN.USUALLY WE DID NOT MAKE MEALS FOR EVERYONE. ON ANOTHER CREW OUR COMMUNAL LIVING SITUATION WAS AT AN OLD HOUSE WHERE WE HAD COMMUNAL DINNERS AND BROUGHT OUR LUNCHES TO HISTORIC SITE. LUCKILY THE SUPERVISORS MADE SURE WE HAD GOOD BEHAVIOR.

MY EARLY SURVEYS WERE UNPAID IN OHIO AS WE FORMED AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CLUB TO LEARN HOW TO SURVEY WITHOUT GETTING LOST IN THE TALL CORN FIELDS. WE ALSO WORKED IN THE KLAMATH FOREST AND DID NOT SHARE LIVING QUARTERS WITH OTHER CREWS BUT WE DID HAVE SOME NICE COTTAGES ALONG RIVERS AND IN REMOTE ALONG RIVERS AND IN A REMOTE CABIN. OTHERS GATHERED AT OUR COTTAGE FOR A PARTY. IN SOUTH DAKOTA WHERE I SUPERVISED SEVERAL CREWS WE HAD SLEEPING SITUATIONS ON THE FLOOR OR ON COTS IN THE BASEMENT. I CAN BARELY REMEMBER IT. WHEN I SUPERVISED A SURVEY CREW IN THE BLACK HILLS WE STAYED IN A ROOM OF OUR OWN AT AN OLD HOTEL. I BROUGHT A COOLER IN MY ROOM AND I ATE MY FOOD HERE. RARELY DID WE EAT AT THE HOTEL RESTAURANT.

IN SOUTH DAKOTA MY HUSBAND AND I STARTED AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL BUSINESS AS THERE WAS MUCH OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION . WE LIVED IN OUR MOTORHOME AT TIMES AND RENTED SMALL HOUSES DURING THE WINTER.

IN ARIZONA I HAD A VARIETY OF LIVING SITUATIONS AS I WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL WITH MY HUSBAND. AFTER GRADUATING I WORKED FULL TIME WITH THE BLM WE USUALLY GOT PER DIEM TO STAY IN A MOTEL AND EAT OUT OR BRING OUR FOOD FOR LUNCH WITH US. OUR CREWS WERE SMALL HERE. WHEN I WAS A SUPERVISOR IN MENDOCINO FOREST WE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT LIVING SITUATIONS ONE WAS A SMALL ROOM IN BARRACKS WHERE EVERYONE COOKED THEIR BREAKFAST OR DINNER.MOST OF MY TIME HERE WAS IN A SMALL TRAILER AT ABOUT 5000 FEET. BEARS CAME TO OUR CAMP. SEVERAL PEOPLE SLEPT TOGETHER IN TRAILERS. WE HAD TO KEEP OUR TRASH CANS SEALED. I THINK THEY TRIED TO KEEP THE BEARS OUT FROM CAMP. THEIR WERE OTHER CREWS HERE AND SOMETIMES WE MADE CAMPFIRES WHEN IT WAS COOL. SOMETIMES WE WERE EXHAUSTED FROM OUR HIKING ALL DAY. IT WAS A WAY TO PERSONALLY DEVELOP OURSELVES AS THEIR WERE MANY CHALLENGES EACH DAY.. EITHER WITH WEATHER, THE TREUCK, ANIMALS, OUR PHYSICAL ENDURANCE OR LOCATING WHERE WE WERE.

IN NEW MEXICO I CAMPED IN A SMALL TENT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ENDURING SUMMER THUNDERSTORMS AND HAVING FEW SHOWERS. IT WAS A WEIRD LIVING SITUATION. I MET A TEACHER FROM THE NAVAJO REGION WHO INVITED ME TO HER HOUSE FOR A WEEKEND. WE HIKED TO CHINLE AT WHITE HOUSE RUINS AND THAT WAS KIND OF FUN.