August 20, 2009

Thursday

Aug. 20, 2009

Today I was back outside, and since there’s not much to tell about being in a 2x3’ trench either squatting with a trowel or using a pick, I figured I’d give a picture of what an ordinary day like today looks like for us.

Wake-up time for me is about 6:45 or 6:50. By 7:10-7:15 I’m up, dressed, and with shiny teeth, at which point I grab my camelback, sunscreen, hat, and shades and go downstairs for breakfast. I usually fill my camelback (2L) as soon as I get there, otherwise the line at the sink grows with people washing dishes from breakfast. Once my bag is full, I grab a yogurt and a handful of biscotti and eat quickly so I can be outside when the van comes to pick us up at about 7:30. There’s really only room for 9 of us (though we’ve fit up to 15 before), so it’s first come, first served. The rest have to walk down the hill, past the bar, and across to the site – about a mile or so.

At the site there are several things to do. If you’re going to the next layer, you can pick, shovel, or carry wheelbarrows. I usually shovel, since picks are snatched pretty quickly by the guys. Once the level has been reached, the leveling and cleaning begins. Everyone uses a trowel, a hand broom, and a bucket to level the layer as much as possible, removing ridges, pits, and slopes. Defining comes after this, during which any artifacts above ground are cleared of dirt and defined with a trowel so they can be seen in pictures. Picture day requires about 4 people, so others go to other trenches or on other jobs like magazine (lab) work. There’s a break every morning at 10 for 30 minutes.

Lunch is at 12:30. After lunch we’re free to do what we want until 2, when we have to go back to the site. Most people sleep, but some talk or read or study (Italians have exams when they go back to school). Everyone sits in the shade outside. The afternoon is usually a continuation of whatever was being done in the morning, though sometimes a new job is started, especially on picture day. We finish at 5pm, clean up, and rush to the van (or else walk uphill for a mile).

Showers are also first come, first served, so there’s a pretty quick rush for those too, or else take an icy shower. There are 8 showers (6 really usable ones) for 20 – 25 people. Those 6 are in one room, with curtains hanging on wires for privacy. There’s no such thing as girl’s side or boy’s side, really, though out of habit we’ve sort of done that for the most part anyway. You get really used to seeing people in towels and underwear, and the occasional accidental exposure isn’t unheard of.

From 6-8:30 is free time, and most people sleep, or go down to the bar at about 7:30 for drinks and snacks. Dinner is at 8:30, and after that is free. I’m usually home by 10 or 10:30 and asleep by 11 (sometimes 12) so I can start again at 6:45. It’s a long day, but I’m liking it. Probably not enough to make a career out of it, though. I’ll be glad to start school in a little over 2 weeks. It’s hard to believe I’m halfway through!