I Volunteered for This?! Life on an Archaeological Dig
My own experiences at Gamlac demonstrate what
can happen to a volunteer. On my first excavation, I,
like the other volunteers, was very eager to learn. We
constantly asked our supervisors why we should dig
here and not over there. The explanations and training
that we received taught us a great deal about the science of archaeology, and we all quickly became more
effective diggers.
With this knowledge and experience, I eventually
became a square supervisor. On my first day, hordes of
eager new volunteers eagerly showed me every stone or
potsherd they had just picked off the ground. After convincing them that their broken stone or potsherd, though
interesting, would not change the course of history, I
attempted to regain control and get the disappointed
mob back to work. I then realized what a constant irritation I must have been to my supervisors during my early
days. But I also concluded that my continual questioning
had made my work as supervisor much more effective.
William G. Dever had a sim