Digging Archaeology

Using a pick and a trowel, Josh de Groot carefully excavated items found in his 2-by-2-meter unit of the archaeological dig in Actuncan, Belize. He and the team were working in a cow field believed to be the home of Mayan ruins — one of the sites where he worked during his four-week course.

De Groot had the opportunity to join the eight-credit class thanks to the Jon Morter Memorial Award in Anthropology/Archaeology. The award honors the memory of Jon Morter, a prehistoric archaeologist who taught at the College of Charleston in 1996–97.

De Groot, a transfer student, hit upon archaeology as a major when he perused the College’s options. His Introduction to Archaeology course with Sarah Platt, assistant professor of anthropology, cinched his decision.

Upon Platt’s recommendation, de Groot applied for the award. “Receiving the award gave me a sense of comfort that my work is working,” says the Greenville, S.C., native.

“Jon’s daughters and I are very pleased this scholarship continues to give deserving students a chance to experience fieldwork in archaeology,” says Morter’s widow, Hillary Hutchinson.

The trip checked many boxes for de Groot. It was his first time traveling abroad by himself, his first time utilizing the Spanish he had been studying and his first time applying what he learned in class.

Initially, de Groot found small artifact fragments, or as his archaeology professor, Jim Newhard, calls them, “dog bones.” As the excavation progressed, de Groot and the team began to discover walls and floors.

Each unit is dug in layers so that what is discovered can be timed based on its location and the soil. Everything is studied and measured, including the dirt, which is labeled and sifted to see if any more artifacts can be found. The process continues with the cleaning of the artifacts and then the categorizing and labeling of each piece.

“It was exciting to see what I had learned applied in the field,” says de Groot. “The experience gave me the tools to excavate with precision.” He credits his success to the local field assistants at the site, in particular Renae Ouk, who has worked at the sites for 45 years. He explained and demonstrated the importance of precision and of carefully following procedures when excavating.

The most exciting finds for de Groot were a howler monkey on a piece of a jar and a piece of pottery with a nose, eye and mouth. The four weeks ended way too soon.

“I was there just long enough to start loving what I was doing, and I didn’t want to leave,” he says, adding that he chose Mesoamerica to see if it would ignite a flame – right now it’s an ember.

“I am so delighted Josh has taken away so much from my classes and advising,” says Platt. “Josh has a great set of instincts and is fantastic at jumping on any opportunities that he knows will make him a better archaeologist. This kind of initiative will serve him extraordinarily well as he grows in the field, and I look forward to seeing where his career takes him.”

Meanwhile, de Groot jumped on another opportunity recommended by Platt. He is interning with the local cultural resource management firm Brockington and Associates. His focus is cleaning artifacts, which will hone his archaeological skills even further. – Darcie Goodwin