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By Deborah L. Huntley, Preservation Archaeologist
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Field training is proving invaluable to student Madeline Weinberger:
If you have any doubts about the importance of field training in archaeology, let me end them. Attending a field school is incredibly important.
After talking to other students and faculty members, I learned that field school training is a basic requirement for many subsequent opportunities—jobs, internships, academic programs, and more intense field schools. And I can see that the skills I am learning here are critical; I’m not only learning how to trowel and pick, I’m also learning about time management, hard work, and what I want to do with my life.
The resources here are incredible, including the professors, instructors, and other students, all of whom have experience and knowledge. I can ask any question at any time and it is answered. The instructors have compiled a mini field library, and they guide students to specific books or articles. Although we work in the dirt all day, this field school is, actually, a school.
At the beginning of my freshman year, I felt that I’d found what I wanted to do. Now that I’ve been here, even after a short time, I know that archaeology is my passion. I love what I’m doing, and every morning I’m itching to get into the field. I would never have known this if I hadn’t come here, grabbed a trowel, and started learning to excavate. To all those interested in pursuing archaeology, I say, get to a field school!