Daily Log 3. 3. 2005

As quickly as it came, it went. Time always flies by on expeditions and it seems just as we say hello, we say goodbye! This expedition was so unique compared to other expeditions and it's not just because it is an archeological dig. The head scientist, Charles Higham, showed everyone the excitement and complete wonderment that goes along with studying ancient burial sites. I have always wanted to be an archeologist and this project just reinforced the reasons why I wanted to be one.

It’s usual that at the end of each project there is a last dinner, speeches are made, and festivities of all sorts occur. Today we went to the site for one last time, and soaked in all the energy from the site. We all left an hour early (at 3 o’clock) so we had time to clean up and rest before a magical mystery boat tour at 5. We all left the hotel and arrived at a restaurant that lay right on the Mun river. The idea was to board a huge pontoon-like boat and go boating while enjoying drinks and appetizers. The boat was really cool, and it was actually two boats tied together with tables and chairs distributed over the deck. About half way into the boat ride (which was on a river that is suffering from a huge drought) it became extremely shallow and the boat got stuck in the water! After numerous tries to get the boat unstuck, we were successful and the captain decided to turn the boat around and head back to dock it. This was understandable so everyone didn’t mind that the ride was cut short by just a little while.

Once we docked the boat we headed onto the main floor for dinner. Dinner was such a feast! Food plates were covering every inch of the table and the plates were constantly being rotated with different foods. It was such a nice atmosphere at dinner and you could tell everyone is going to genuinely miss each other. I think that everyone, including myself, feels so grateful to be given the opportunity to work at one of the most important ancient burial sites in Thailand, Ban Non Wat. So many wonderful people work at the site who welcomed all of us with open arms. Myself, Arsen, and Tyler have learned so many new things about civilizations and what is the most common theme in a collapse of a civilization: neglecting the environment.

I will always remember what I have learned from excavating Ban Non Wat. I can only hope that I get another amazing opportunity to come back in a few years to work with Charles and all of the wonderful people who on a daily basis uncover new passageways into the past.

PEACE,
Jamie

Daily Log 3. 2. 2005

Here is some information about the Thai community fellows, Pisut and Rati.

Pisut, 22, is studying in the department of Anthropology and Sociology at Kasetsart University in Bangkok. He is a very enthusiastic person, who is particularly enthralled by his Thai culture and arts. Pisut feels that parts of the Thai culture have been changed because of globalization, and he feels it is very important for Thai people to learn more about their history and culture in order to preserve the traditional ways. He looks forward to exchanging his culture, opinions and ideas with his Earthwatch team members and he hopes to learn something new from everyone. Pisut plans to have a career in academics and he looks forward to gaining professional exposure to archeology. He plans to use his fieldwork experience to develop a website which will educate his community about their history.

Rati, 22, is an outgoing, friendly, and responsible person. Outside of his studies in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Kasetsart University, Rati enjoys visiting natural places, playing soccer and swimming with friends. Rati's dream is to work in the field of archaeology and he very much looks forward to applying what he has studied in his classes to practical fieldwork. Rati is excited to meet new international friends and share his Thai culture with them so that they will feel comfortable adapting to Thai ways while on their expedition. He plans to put together a presentation for his fellow students and faculty where he will showcase his photographs and share his newfound knowledge. Rati also hopes to write a book that tells of his Earthwatch journey.

These two guys are both hilarious and educational. They are both doing their very best to help us adapt to certain aspects of the Thai culture. I hope they both take as much away from the experience as we have. I have enjoyed spending lots of time with them and I will always remember singing karaoke with them!

Peace,
Jamie

Daily Log: 3. 1. 2005

Today a lot of filming was done off site. We first went to the Phimai Temple to do about 6.5 hours of filming. The temple was amazing in the morning light and it was so nice to be there when it wasn’t burning hot outside. After spending the 6 and a half hours at the temple, we went back to the Inn for a little rest and relaxation. Around 2:30, Lisa and myself went to a place called the Banyan Tree. The Banyan tree is a 350-year-old tree that has sprawled its roots over an area of 35,000 square feet. In the tangle of this huge tree fortune tellers set up ‘shop’ and there is a Buddhist temple where one can pray and meditate. I was going to get my fortune read but the teller who speaks English was away for the day so I just have to go back another day!

After spending about an hour and a half at the Banyan tree, Lisa and I went to the downtown Phimai food market. I had been to other markets in Phimai but not the downtown food market, which I had high expectations for. I expected there to be tons of vendors with tons of unfamiliar foods and smells. Well, my expectations were met! I had never in all my life seen such different foods than I am used to. I saw tons of different types of meats, different parts of animals that would be later used to cook up and eat. Also, there were tons of fried crickets, various juices, many native fruits, and honeybee hive slices. The honeycombs were partially raveled onto a stick, and it was covered in honey, bees (both dead and alive) and bee larvae. I (for some crazy reason) thought it would be a great idea to try it. So I bought one, and took a bite. Much to my surprise it was the foulest thing I have ever tasted. It tasted like a weird mixture between rotten popcorn, and some other undetectable tastes. After I swallowed a small chunk of it, I started to gag and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t swallow the honey chunk. So… I walked slowly down the line of vendors before I spit the honey chunk into my hand. I waited a little while to spit it out so I wouldn’t offend the woman I bought it from.

Later I decided to try another unknown ‘dessert’. The dessert was a green gelatin rolled in a yellow rice substance. ONCE AGAIN, my taste buds were deceived and I forced myself to eat what I had bitten off! No longer will I try unknown substances from the downtown food market, unless the community fellows tell me that it’s okay! I trust their judgment and I would assume they wouldn’t let me buy and eat something that would make me feel unpleasant once I ate it.

The market itself was absolutely incredible though. There were tons of people, people singing in the streets, and even a drum band walked by. Everyone seemed to be happy and eager to have us try what he or she was selling. In addition to the food that was being sold, there were clothing vendors selling the latest trends in Thailand. I didn’t really look too much at the clothes selection, because the food vendors were so interesting. I am glad that I tried the foods I did, despite the fact I didn’t enjoy them. I never would have known I didn’t like them, unless I tried!

I am also excited to go back to the Banyan tree and have my fortune read. I will surely keep everyone posted on what the teller says. Word ‘on the street’ is that he is pretty accurate and that he sometimes tells the bad things, not the good. But either way it will be really interesting to see what he can pick out about myself. Maybe he will have some advice about the which foods I should be eating, and which foods I shouldn’t be eating. :-)

Goodnight!
Jamie

Daily Log: 2. 28. 2005

Just before the day was to be underway, I was asked by the Thai people to participate in the blessing of the excavation site. So 5 others and myself paid respects to the skeletons we worked on. Paying our respects entailed praying in front of plates of offerings that were being given to the spirits. On the plates was pig, chicken, a cigarette, fruit, whiskey, incense, and a candle. After praying, we left the area in which we left the offerings, and went on with the daily activities of digging, restoring pottery, and working in the excavation site doing various archeological tasks.

Doing any sort of archeological work requires many skills and tools to get the job done. On top of being patient and careful, it’s also important to have a talent for working in small delicate spaces. A lot of different tools are used in the process of excavating. Some of these tools are a variety of flattened diamond shaped shovels. The ‘shovels’ range from large to small and are used to either scrape away a large area of soil (if it’s a larger shovel) or if its one of the smaller sized ones, it’s used to scrape away soil that lies closely to the bone. There is an art to using these tools, and I feel that they are most effective when tilted at a 45-degree angle to the dirt. Putting it at this angle creates less stress on the wrist, and the maximum amount of dirt is taken away.

When one is taking away soil from the skeleton, a paintbrush is used to dust away any loose dirt making the bones or artifacts more visible. Using a paintbrush to go over the bones (or pots) can also fleck away loose or delicate particles, so being very careful is an absolute must!!! Once all of the dirt is swept away into a pile, it’s placed into a dustpan, and poured into a bucket. The bucket, once filled to the brim with soil, is hooked onto a rope and pulled up out of the site. This is the quickest way to get soil out of the ‘hole’, because a lever is used to lift the pail up to a person who is waiting at the top. The soil is then poured through a screen to double-check the results.

Another task that’s done at the site right when a grave is excavated is sketching in detail the remains and the surrounding artifacts. A grid is placed carefully over the skeleton and each box on the grid is sketched onto graph paper that is scaled down to size. The grid is just a square meter. String is strung through the frame that creates a grid-like pattern. Jim and I did not know that there was a grid we could use, so when he and I did sketching, we did it by freehand and it took us about 3 hours! Now we know that in the future, a grid can be used if we ever have to sketch a burial!!!

So there are many different types of tools used while excavating pottery, bones, or any other artifacts that present themselves in the soil. It takes a lot of careful digging and proper usage of the tools to accurately lift the items out of the ground!

Peace,
Jamie

Daily Log: 2. 27. 2005

Today was such a hectic day! The film crew arrived last night so today was the first day of filming. We started out at the site doing some hands on digging work and examining a few burials that were just poking through the surface. Estimating which way a body would have been laid according to the positioning of the pots in the ground is not as simple as one would think. A lot of thought has to go into this because it all depends on which direction to start digging. In the two burials we did uncover, a lot it of was a baby burial located between two stacks of pottery. The second was a burial of a young male (young meaning between the ages of 18 and 23-ish). We didn’t have time to uncover the whole body because we were doing many other things for the film crew. Some of the things we did included, actually lifting bones from a grave, that would be later analyzed, stored, then taken to the local Phimai Museum for the people of the community to come and see. I personally did not get to lift the bones. Arsen did some of this and I am somewhat relieved it was him doing it. Lifting bones requires much patience and a very careful hand. The ‘lifter’ has only one chance to do it right, so it has to be done well the first time.

Another really interesting thing that was done today at the site involved the local village kids. It was their day off from school because it’s Sunday, so there were a dozen or so kids running around. I always bring lollypops with me to work, so I passed many of them out to the kids who were so thrilled to receive them. Also, a few of the younger girls taught me a song and in exchange I taught them ‘Miss Mary Mack’ (a patty-cake game). They seemed to enjoy it a lot, and they all caught on very quickly.

It was really very hot today, as it has been the last 3 days. The temperature has been 40 degrees Celsius in the shade. Forty degrees Celsius is about 103-104 Fahrenheit. The way you determine degrees in Celsius is multiplying the temperature (40) by two, which makes 80, then adding 24 degrees, which makes 104! It is a very humid heat, which makes it just that much more uncomfortable, but frequent breaks throughout the day are essential in keeping everyone healthy and happy!

A funny thing happened at lunch today that would probably make most people cringe. Sitting on the dining table was a huge bowl, and inside that bowl was a heaping pile of fried crickets. I did not want to eat one for the fact that they were crickets and they still had their beady little eyes. But I sat at the wrong table to pass up the crickets because everyone I was sitting with forcefully talked me into having one… then two. I don’t ever remember the taste really, I was just so concentrated on the fact that I had crickets in my mouth and I could feel their scrawny little legs as I chewed them. If you aren’t grossed out by reading this, then perhaps you are the perfect candidate for eating a cricket or two. I am glad I did it but I strongly believe one experience is enough for me!

It was really nice to have the film crew at the site, and everyone had a lot of fun being apart of the filming process. The local people, the scientists, and the volunteers all had their moment in front of the lens, which really brought a different and giddy feeling to the work site! Excavating (or watching) the bones from the grave was really neat. It was almost like it was a new beginning for the dead for them to be cleaned, analyzed, and relocated to a new resting place.

Peace,
Jamie

Daily Log for 2. 26. 2005

Last night was a free night because we have off on Saturday (which is today). In an attempt to be silly and fun myself, Tyler, Rati, Pisut, Jim, and some scientists went over to a karaoke lounge next to the hotel. Karaoke is very popular in Thailand, so the place was just filled with people on a Friday night. We decided to get a private room where we can play all the songs we chose and be as crazy as possible. It was a lot of fun and I figured out that Jim and Tyler both have voices like angels. We were probably at the lounge for 3 hours or so and then everyone disappeared and went off to bed.

Some of the scientists, Harriet, Thom, Di, Anna, myself, and Rati, the community fellow, stuck around for awhile until the lounge was about to close. Because everything was quiet at that point, Harriet and I decided to go into a private room that had a lot of noise coming from it. So we barged into the room and started dancing like crazy people in front of the TV. The room was filled with 8 or so Thai teenagers, and they all had a bunch of laughs watching us. They didn’t speak any English, but they motioned for us to sit down and stay awhile, which we did. They all ended up being my age (18) and students at the local high school. So when it was time to part ways they gave me the address of their school and told me I was welcome to stop by. It was well into the morning when Harriet and myself went off to bed.

It was a lot of fun to be able to hang out with people of my own age from the area we are at. It was also nice to have a late night up socializing with everyone. Today I have no real set schedule for doing anything because it's our day off, but tomorrow work resumes as planned!

PEACE,
Jamie

Daily Log: 2.24 & 2. 25. 2005

Today I learned all of the various types of artifacts that are excavated at Ban Non Wat. Much to my surprise, there were dozens of things that differed in size, color, and usage. I had my hands-on learning experience when I started helping Harriet sort out and clean ‘Small Findings”. “Small Findings” are artifacts that are found in a burial or just throughout the soil that seem to be randomly placed or just all by themselves.

We are the last group to excavate Ban Non Wat due to the fact that their season is over the day after we leave, so Harriet and I had trays and trays of “Small Findings” to go through. When we began to wash the artifacts, Harriet gave me a brief handle-with-care talk about what I should wash, how I should wash it, and what I shouldn’t wash due to its delicate nature.

A lot of the things we were washing were just so amazing. The craftsmanship that went into making the tools, bracelets, and moulds is just incredible. I feel that out of everything, the bracelets were the most magnificent. They were usually either marble or clay and very large. Unlike the bracelets we wear now-a-days the ancient bracelets are heavy, thick, and sit high off the wrist. There were a few smaller shell bracelets that we had to be careful washing because they were so fragile and thin. Even though we were using soft-bristled toothbrushes, things do tend to break, so being extra careful is a must. Some of the tools we came across were tools used to make the pottery. They usually looked like handles with a rounded tip that would have been used to smooth out the sides of pots and shape them accordingly. I also picked up a bronze arrow head that was so sharp and intricately made. I could not wash this because the bronze would erode away more if I rubbed water on it. The last item that we both cleaned a lot of were clay pebbles. These would have been used for shooting animals with a sling shot or other pebble shooting devices. I accidentally washed one of the clay pebbles too harshly and it crumbled in my hand. I was very upset that I could be so careless, but in the end it was a learning lesson that I should remember these artifacts are over 3,000 years old and I should ‘handle with care’.

The day was over before we had a chance to get through all of the artifacts that needed to be washed so we neatly (and carefully) tucked them away for safe keeping so that when we work the next day we can start where we left off. It was really interesting to wash away all the dirt on these pieces that had been tucked away in the Earth for 3,000 years. It was almost as if I was washing away all the time that it was underground and unseen, and creating a new appreciation for it.

Peace,

Jamie