May 27 2013 - Digging in the Rain

Despite us crossing our fingers, the rain returned today, and we all hiked back to the site on this dreary Monday. The morning quickly perked up for some students, however, as when Ananda, Nadine, Caitlin and Cameron were approximately 4 km into their hike, they spotted a bear crossing the path a few metres ahead.

Nothing like a bear sighting to wake you up in the morning.

All groups separated and eagerly got back to work on their excavation units. Wendy, Richard, and Stuart finished searching for any cultural evidence at the large first growth tree stump; nothing else was found, and they returned to excavate a unit near the third group on the south-east portion of the site. We finished the morning by marking the pit datum and recording the DBD per unit.

Jeneva, Ananda, Emma and Erinn determined to mark the proper datum.

The first group, Tiana, Amanda, Cameron, Kelsey and Caitlin were fortunate to come across a few things in their unit. Tiana found an American penny and the coin appears to be dated either 1908 or 1918. This is relevant and helpful as we know the camp to have been occupied post 1918.  Tiana also found what looks to be something like a damper handle, or a piece of a stove. Bob had chosen this location for them to excavate as he believes there was once a cabin there. The group also found several nails of various sizes, what appears to be burned planks or floorboards, metal pieces, and bits of ceramic.

Tiana, Kelsey, Caitlin, Amanda, and Cameron very pleased with themselves after finding the stove pieces.

In the afternoon, Ananda, and Nadine helped Caitlin set up a new 2m x 1m excavation unit in the area Bob believes to have been a garden, and the object is for Caitlin to find seeds.

Stuart and Wendy sifting sediment.

The second group, Kathleen, Erinn, Ananda, Nadine, Jeneva and Emma, now joined by Wendy, Stuart and Richard continued to clear the surface and litter mat. Everyone carefully sifted their sediment through the screens and some people found pieces of clear broken glass, and, at the base of the stump among the roots, Wendy found remnants of a tin can and some nails, and Richard excavated pieces of ceramic.

The groups hard at work dealing with clearing the litter mat.

 
From bear sightings to stove piece findings, with guest appearances from mice, newts, spiders and beetles, this productive day proved to be pretty eventful.

Under an old rotting log, so far,  cultural evidence-0 Nature-1.