Thursday, May 21, 2009

2009 Field Season Begins!

I am sure the Jim, Pete, Scott, Anne, and Stephanie have their hands full today! Before fieldwork can begin tomorrow they have to transport a ton of field equipment to Port Tobacco, set up our datum points, establish NE corners of our starting units. But that is not all. They need to set up all of our documentation systems, print and copy provenience cards, bag tags, field specimen number lists, and the field manual. They also need to set up their living quarters in the Burch House, buy groceries for the next 24 hours, set up showers, and strategically place rented port-a-johns before BBQing their first field meal tonight.

Don't worry. With the help of our dedicated volunteers and members of the Maryland Archeological Association and Maryland Historical Trust, it will all get done. Fieldwork begins at 8am on Friday and lasts until June 30. We will be digging at least 6 days a week during these 6 weeks so the blog will come alive again with reports from the field.

I will be a bit tardy in my arrival. I have a few things to finish up here in Tiffin, Ohio before I load up the van with our three interns (Allison, Magen, and Katharine) and drive down to Port Tobacco. The Heidelberg University crew will arrive around dinner time on Tuesday night...just about when the A team will be in need of reinforcements. We will stay in PT for the duration of the field season.

Let the digging begin!

-April

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

D-Day

Tomorrow (Thursday, May 21) the PTAP crew invades Port Tobacco. The team established a beach head at Burch House last week, now we set up the excavation area for the Archeological Society of Maryland's 39th (?) annual field session.

For those arriving early, please note that we want you to park on the field and not in the paved parking lot (reserved for visitors) and certainly not in the driveways of the residents. We want to make this effort as painless as possible for the several households in and immediately around town, so please be courteous to our hosts.

Upon arriving on Friday, there will be a registration station at which you can check in. Please check in each and every day, regardless of whether or not you have registered. If the registration table has not been set up when you arrive, or is not yet staffed, please check in some time during the day.

The Burch House can still use a couple of lamps, so if you would like to donate lights, now would be a good time.

We will be reporting from the field most days, although communications may be irregular until April arrives Tuesday evening.

See you all in the trenches.

Jim