Knowing my interest in public archaeology, Dan, Don's former co-worker, told me about public archaeology days at the Newlin Grist Mill in West Chester, PA. The weather has cooled off a little since my latest dig at the Red Bank Battlefield, so I donned my Indiana Jones outfit and drove over an hour to get my hands dirty. I've learned over the years to temper my expectations. Some programs are a chance for the real archaeologists to show off to the public, others are hands on. I come prepared to get dirty, but try not to get disappointed if I can't.
On the July open house (they have one monthly on nice days) they were exposing the base of a stone wall. Pretty slow going work for the most expert archaeologists. Dan I got into a rhythm of screening the buckets. We got a bit bossy and tried to designate one screen for the pit to the side, and the other for the pit behind us since they each had different bags. I tried to let it go as things got mixed up since those really in charge were fine with it. As Dan and I gleaned a bit of information about the site, we shared what we knew with those coming up after us, and showed them the collection of gloves which are mandatory to use. Safety first.
The groups included parents with small children, and a large walking group. Some stayed a couple of minutes, and others lasted over an hour.
The biggest find of the day was probably the stone path/wall. We also found building materials (glass, nails, bricks, and charcoal). The ring was the most exciting find of the day.
By the end of the outing, Keith was inviting me to join him on Wednesdays when the public isn't around and they can do more digging. Though they are more than an hour away, I can't wait to join them!
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