Ontario Historic Archaeology
A dig school under the direction of Dr. Helen Haines. This dig school took place during the month of May, in Oshawa, Ontario. As it stands, it was the last dig school held at the Oshawa Museum. The area surveyed and excavated is in relation to the Henry family, and took place adjacent to the Henry House. This course ran five days a week. The first portion took place in the field and the latter in the lab at Trent Durham GTA. Assessments included a field notebook, overall performance and cooperation during fieldwork and lab work, a final test and a written excavation report.
My childhood dream come true. I didn’t feel that I had enough educational experience to attempt a dig school, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Dr. Helen Haines was more than welcoming to all of us students and volunteers. I went into the dig school with anxieties and hesitation, but left with enough confidence to want to make it a career.
I learned everything I needed to know, and more. The weather did not always cooperate, causing some days to be more frigid than others or raining enough to postpone digging. Despite the weather, I enjoyed all aspects of the course. I have heard that those in the field favour digging to lab work, but I found them both to be equally as gratifying. Dr. Haines is an expert in Historical and Mesoamerican archaeology. She was a wonderful field instructor, exhibiting patience and encouragement to all of us in the field and the lab. Her passion for archaeology shines through and her excitement for fieldwork is contagious. When students exhibit a willingness to learn and grow, Dr. Haines will do what she can to best support them and help them plan for the future. Although there are no longer field schools running at the Oshawa Museum, Dr. Haines runs field schools in Belize, which I encourage students to experience.
Dr. Haines and I at my Unit
Photo by Savannah Sewell