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Just Another Shovelbum - Just Another Shovelbum

I am a recent college grad with a BA in Anthropology. I am pursuing a career in archaeology, and I hope to get accepted into a graduate school program for the Fall of 2008. In the meantime I am working as a field technician for various contract archaeology firms (CRMs). Field techs who go from job to job, place to place, are known (affectionately, I'm sure) as "shovelbums." I created this blog for my many curious friends and family, and anyone else, who wants to know what it is really like to pursue a career in archaeology. Scroll down to follow my progress as I find out the answer to that question myself!

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Joined on: July 22nd 2007
Last Login: August 28th 2008

Blog Entries: 13
Photos: 109
Recommends 4

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Just-Another-Shovelbum, order by Date newest first.

By Just Another Shovelbum
June 26th 2008

This is work?

North America » United States » Texas

Port O'Connor
Where you could find me most Saturdays...

I just got back from an admittedly very cushy job in Victoria, Texas. It was a 6 week long project, but of all places to spend 6 weeks away from home, Victoria wasn't that bad! The beach was only about 45 minutes away, and the hotel had a pool, so I was usually lounging around at one of those two places during my free time. I got a nice tan! The crew had a total of 14 people, so it was a good mix. I worked in the lab doing data entry and recording artifacts that were brought in each day [View Full Entry]

Safety goggles, reflective vests, snake guards...

By Just Another Shovelbum
May 2nd 2008

New Orleans Project... Revisited

North America » United States » Louisiana » New Orleans

St. Mary's Assumption
Irish Channel, Uptown

For my senior project I wrote a paper about historical preservation in New Orleans during the post-Katrina era (you can read about it here if you like). I've always considered that paper as a work in progress because the situation in New Orleans is changing by the day, sometimes by taking a step forward and other times a step back. In any case, I would like to continue this line of study in grad school, so this past weekend I went to New Orleans to take more pictures of buildings on the Na [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
April 22nd 2008

Finally... some work!

North America » United States » New Mexico

"Scenic" New Mexico
Laying out our test pits

December 16th... between the recent changes at home and the TXDot cutbacks, that was the last time I had earned a paycheck. I wasn't a shovelbum at that point, I was just a bum! But not anymore, the drought is finally over! This past week I was surveying and testing sites on Canon Air Force Base outside of Portales, New Mexico. First off, let me say that northeastern New Mexico is not much more scenic than, say, Lubbock, TX. It is flat, dusty, and makes one realize that when New Mexicans coined the phrase "the Land of Enchantment" they were obviously [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
March 3rd 2008

My current hiatus

North America » United States » Texas » Dallas

The Harbor Fountain
I've been practicing with my camera in my time off. Fine art in my own backyard? Who knew!

Before I decided to try my luck at CRM, I was warned that there could be periods of time when projects might be few and far between. With the recent troubles at TXDot, a major source of funding to the CRM firm where I am currently employed, many projects were either put on hold or scrapped altogether. Winter is typically slow for CRM firms anyway. This period of inactivity has also coincided with a major change in my life. My husband and I seperated at the beginning of the year, and I have been preoccupied with the business of setting myself [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
November 10th 2007

In Your Own Backyard

North America » United States » Texas » Dallas

The Site Mascot?
This copperhead was injured, so that's why I could get so close to it. It died the next day. It was a small one, about a foot in length, and was brightly colored. Very pretty.

I'm currently working on an excavation located in Garland, TX. The site is right next to the new Firewheel mall, and we are testing the area in advance of the construction for the new extension to Highway 190. Many people are surprised to know that archaeology is happening right in their own backyard. The most common question is why? What could we possibly be finding? The answer is that much of CRM work is required because of state and federal laws that say that any development on public land has to be tested to determine if any cultural resources will be [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
October 20th 2007

Project in Lampasas, Texas Hill Country

North America » United States » Texas

Texas Hill Country

After visiting Fredericksburg recently and developing an appreciation for the Texas Hill Country, I was excited to find out that my next project was located in Lampasas, a small town just outside of Fort Hood in Killeen. The area, like most of Hill Country, has lots of limestone outcroppings and the trademark rolling green hills. The limestone makes the creeks particularly beautiful since there is not an abundance of sediments to cloud up the water, so many creeks are clear and clean looking. We actually found the perfect swimming hole in one of the creeks, and after a particularly hot day [View Full Entry]

Projectile points found in the Middle Archaic

By Just Another Shovelbum
August 17th 2007

Muddy Creek Site in Wylie, TX

North America » United States » Texas » Dallas

Test pit excavation

I recently began working as an archaeological technician for a local Plano-based company. I am very excited to be working for them because I have always heard good things about this firm, and also because they have several local projects coming up over the next couple of months. My first assignment with them is to perform test excavations near a creek in Wylie, TX. We are finding mostly small fragments of bone, but we did find a large cache of lithics (rock or stone altered by humans) and some projectile points in one of the pits. No one knows the age [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
August 14th 2007

Archaeology... in Vegas?!

North America » United States » Nevada » Las Vegas

Vegas Baby...

Sure! Well, not exactly in Vegas... I have always loved Vegas in spite of any instincts I may have to feel otherwise. In spite of the fact that it represents excess and frivolous spending, in spite of the fact that it glorifies materialism and pretentiousness. It's a fun town. Bright lights, lots of food. It's a great place to get away from everything and live in a make-believe world for a couple of days... and a couple of days is usually all I can take before I start getting a nervous twitch and the mountains just outside of the city start [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
July 27th 2007

Archaeology Isn't Always Pretty

North America » United States » Arkansas

The Ozarks
The forest was pretty thick, and peaceful

Archaeology Isn't Always Pretty... Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiam. --Winston Churchill I debated about whether or not I would include this story, but it is a part of the learning experience of being a new field tech. One of the things that always bothered me about the faculty at my University is that they were not willing to talk about their difficulties as well as their successes in their pursuit of this field. My professors were always supportive, but I think it is important for young archaeologists to have mentors who are [View Full Entry]

By Just Another Shovelbum
July 5th 2007

San Luis Obispo- My First Job in CRM

North America » United States » California » San Luis Obispo

Morro Bay
A view of the rock

I graduated with my BA in Anthropology in June of this year. I decided that I would try out life as a field technician for a while. Field techs are usually hired by CRM (Cultural Resource Management) firms for specific lengths of time, from a few weeks to a few months, to work on specific projects. We are often required to work away from home and in other states because opportunities in the cities where we live can be few and far between. As a result, field techs are usually offered an hourly rate and per diem (an allowance for food [View Full Entry]

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