#blumenhof

Pinhole. ca. 2001

Fotopapier 13x18cm. Unikat. Blumenhof Koblenz.

alles selbstgemacht. Das Pinhole-Objektiv, die Kamera, die Entwicklung.

People are usually confused when I tell them I'm working as a research assistant at an archaeological site for the summer. Once over the initial confusion, they usually start asking me about dinosaurs.

I'm studying archaeology (a branch of anthropology) in university, not palaeontology. Instead of t-rex's and stegosaurus', I studying humans of the past and their cultural remains. It's a lot more in depth, more complicated, and, to me, more interesting than dinosaurs. Don't get me wrong, I think dinosaurs are really cool, but it's just not my thing.

The site I'm working on this summer is called Blumenhof. Blumenhof was a village which Mennonite settlers who came from Russia established on the prairies in the 1800's. Specifically, my group is on a six-week mission to excavate the cellar of the Plett family housebarn. 

I've been on the site now for two and a half weeks. When I first started the job, my dad started calling me Indiana Dano, a mix of Indiana Jones and my childhood nickname that has followed me into adulthood. I try not to be too offended, even though Indiana Jones is pretty much the worst archaeologist around (more on that another time)

The site is very artifact rich, but of artifacts only an archaeologist would get excited about; minuscule pieces of ceramics, ambiguous chunks of metal, and shards of animal bones. Since it's my first time working on a site, though, I get excited when I find anything, including nails which we already have hundreds of. Unless you've tried it yourself, no one can describe the thrill you get when you trowel hits something other than dirt and rocks.

I really love archaeology and being in the field, but I'm not sure if I can see myself doing it as a full-time occupation. I do love artifacts and history though, so I may looked into the museum and curatorial side of anthropology. Just another thing to do before school starts.