Dig It [Winter 2011]

(Demo for Ancient Carolinians Exhibit

!b"ecti#e$ This demonstration highlights some of the tools commonly used on an
archaeological dig site, and explains why such different tools are used for the different objects
that are unearthed. Furthermore, the demo will showcase what kinds of ancient artifacts might
be found on a dig and what uses these items had for the prehistoric people who manufactured
them. Finally, the importance of soil stratigraphy in the process of excavation and interpretation
will also be briefly explained.
%aterials$
Portable dig box with soil (incl artifacts
!hovel
"ason#s trowel
!poon
Paintbrushes
!harpened chopstick or bamboo stick
($uried in the soil% projectile points (spearheads & arrowheads, stone drill, scraper & knives,
chipped axe'ad(e, grooved axe head, pottery sherds, hammerstone, deer bones
&ac'gro(n)$ )fter a site has been measured and strung off into a grid with a surveyor#s transit
or *total station,# the archaeologist will initially use a shovel to dig away the upper most layer of
earth (the topsoil layer usually referred to as the *plow (one# within the excavation unit.
+nce the plow (one has been leveled off, the shovel is used to dig down into the next layer (or
strata of soil, which is usually of a different type and color than the topsoil. )t a certain point,
once the archaeologist reaches the level where ancient people lived and worked, he switches
from a shovel to a trowel. The trowel is used to scrape the *occupation# level down to find
artifacts and to make it smooth. ) trowel is much smaller than a shovel, and thus it is less likely
to destroy artifacts when being used for precision work.
+ther tools are used as well to expose artifacts and bones, depending on what it is. For example,
a paintbrush might be needed to wipe loose dirt from delicate items such as pottery, shell
jewelry, bone, and bone artifacts, and to brush them clean for photographs. ) sharpened
chopstick can also be used to extract small bits of dirt from buried skeletons or decaying metals.
) spoon is generally used to dig out dirt from smaller excavation areas like trash pit features,
posthole features, or burials, all of which are dug separately from the main excavation unit.
*roce)(re$
)sk% What is the most basic tool that an archaeologist uses to investigate the site where ancient
humans lived and worked? ) shovel
$riefly explain in your own words how a shovel is used to take out the upper or top layer of soil
(see *$ackground# section above and how successive soil layers that are dug up and exposed are
usually of a different soil type and color.
,!how the audience the profile drawing of the different soil layers-
.ext, explain that the dirt would be thrown into a screen to be sifted out so that small artifacts
might be more easily found.
.ext, get out the trowel and demonstrate how it is used to scrape the soil down (in the dig box
little by little until you expose an artifact.
,Pick a volunteer to see if they can use the trowel properly.-
!nce +o( or the #isitor start to (nco#er artifacts, ex-lain to them .hat the+ are fin)ing$
/tone -ro"ectile -oint (s-earhea) or arro.hea)0
What do you think this was used for?
,Projectile points were attached to the tips of spears and arrows, and where used for hunting
game animals.-
*otter+ sher)0
,/se the bamboo stick and brush to further expose it.-
,Pottery was used in the 0arolinas beginning around over 1,222 years ago3-
What do you think pottery was used for?
,.ative )mericans used pottery for cooking and storage. Pottery (which is smoothed and fire4
hardened clay was an efficient means of boiling foods to make them soft and easier to eat.
5round corn was boiled and cooked into a meal that was made into foods we would find familiar
6 .ative )mericans in this area ate corn fritters (similar to our hushpuppies, which is fried corn
batter, and they had a soupy corn gruel similar to grits called sofkee.-
!ther artifacts that might be (nco#ere) in the )ig are$
Drill 6 boring holes in wood, shell or stone
/cra-er 6 to scrape away hair from animal hides
1nife 6 to cut meat
Chi--e) axe2a)3e 6 a woodworking tool7 used to hollow out logs for canoes
4ro(n), groo#e) axe hea) 6 used to fell trees and chop logs
5ammerstone 6 used to break apart pieces of stone in order to chip points, scrapers, tools, etc
Deer bones ,/se the bamboo stick and brush to further expose it-
6efer to the -hoto Artifact Identification Guide for the a--roximate age of the #ario(s
artifacts7 /ee if the #isitors can i)entif+ .hat the+ fin) base) on this i)entification g(i)e7