Day 9: The Mystery of Archeology - Cole

     Working on the Archeological site at Kent has been a very educational and interesting process. I have really enjoyed working on the site because of the mystery involved with Archeology. We didn't know what we were going to find, and now that we've found something, we aren't exactly sure what it is. What we found appears to be a line that stretches across every hole that we have dug, so far it is close to 20 feet, but it hasn't stopped yet. This line is such a mystery to all of us, especially the students working at the site.
     This idea of not knowing what you're going to find is so intriguing to me. Although you don't always find something groundbreaking, it is still very important to continue to look for answers to events, people or things in the past. We need to know what has happened in the past, because it might affect us right now or in the future, and because uncovering history is very important as well. It would be much harder to do this without the work Archeologists do in the field. For example, Dr. Conolley tracks the movements and lives of the natives of Jamaica, the Taino, and he was able to tell that the Taino and British were trading with each other because of the items he found at different sites. Being able to track groups of people at certain times is a really important and cool skill to have, which is why I am thankful to be working at the Archeological site with a professional who is able to help us with any questions we have.

Day 4: Archaeological Adventures - Emory

In the archeology adventure Dr. Conolley taught us different ways to use a trowel, which is a surprisingly large amount seeing how small the tool is. Many shells were discovered because according to Dr. Conolley, marine life is thought to have previously have lived in that area. A few pottery pieces were also found. They are hard to identify due to the fact that they look like rocks but they are darker and unnaturally smooth. When looking through the remaining rocks you have to go slow and take your time to really look and study materials to be certain what the object is. At the end of the day we found a straight line of dark brown soil, outlined with marl, which is white rock. We were uncertain of what may have made this mark. Our guesses were that it was a the foundation or fence posts in the ground without a gap between each post.

One of the most important things that we were taught was that you have to record everything as exact as possible and as many times as possible. Dr. Conolley would record it by first by text, then by drawing. He would use a international system that all archeologist use when recording a finding, which makes it easier for archeologist to compare notes.

These archeological digs are important to discover and preserve artifacts and documents about the fascinating history of Jamaica. This experience is beneficial to the students to help us learn how important history is to any community and nation. These finding can be used to educate the locals and tourists of Jamaica. We are very appreciative the effort that Rim and Dr. Conolley put into these digs to preserve their history and give us an unforgettable experience.

Day 3: Pieces of our Past - Sutton

Today, we engaged in an archeological dig under the guidance of Dr. Conolley and his knowledgable assistant, Rim. Dr. Conolley had previously given all of the students a presentation about the work he conducts on Spanish Hill, what sort of objects he finds, and what groups, such as POHS, have assisted him with his important work. The location of the site was long ago inhabited by the Taino people. We were first taught how to properly dig with a trowel within the 100cm STP shovel test bit marked by Dr. Conolley and Rim. While we were digging, we were able to admire the stunning environment around us including the bulls, cows, geese, and greenery. One of the most important methods we learned while digging was how to record our findings once we were done with each layer. It was important to write down the percentage of rocks in the layer, drawings of large rocks remaining in the dirt, as well as drawing special artifacts.

Conducting these archaeological digs are crucial to drawing connections between the artifacts found, and previously discovered documents. This experience impacted students as we appreciated the laborious work that Dr. Conolley and Rim put into the digs in work to preserve history. These findings (including shells, pot handles, pottery, lithic, etc.) can be used to educate both tourists and Jamaican citizens alike in the past. We hope that soon, POHS students can work alongside Falmouth students while participating in this activity. This will not only create a bond between students, but will also help preserve the Taino history for this island nation.

Day 9: Some Things Never Change - Sage

Today, the archeology group began our day with more work on Spanish Hill. Yesterday our group found a post hole. Naturally we were eager to get to work and find something else. However, when we arrived we found out that we would be working on shovel test pits instead. Shovel test pits are when you sift through a concentrated area for artifacts to see if you should dig there. We began working, with the sun beating down on our necks. We found that the test pit was filled with pottery, shellfish, and bones. So much in fact that we had to continuously get new artifact bags. As I worked I began thinking of what these artifacts could mean. Why would the Taíno leave these artifacts for us to find? What use did they serve? Because of the number of artifacts, the area was most likely an area to discard items. That would explain why we had not found intact pottery. If they were discarding it, it would already be broken. It also explains the shellfish and bones, as they would most likely dump the food waste in the same area. This reminded me of something Dr. Conolley had said on my fist day. He said “the Taíno were not so different from us”. What he meant was that some behavior always stays the same. Humans will always find shelter, they will always find ways to eat, and they will always look for convenience. We see this with the Taíno. The Taíno built houses. we found evidence of this with the post hole. They also found ways to eat so that it would be almost impossible for them to starve. They ate Coney, fish, and shellfish, all of which are plentiful in the area. They also looked for convenience. On the site we are excavating you can see the ocean in the distance. This shows that they strategically placed themselves so that they could use the ocean’s resources. The same can be said about modern humans. We too need shelter, and have an infinite variety of food. We also look for convenience, even with our advances in technology. This shows that even in the span of half a millennium, basic human behavior remains.

Day 8: Post Oak Finds A Post Hole- Ren

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Up on Spanish Hill at Kent farm, the archaeology group guided by Dr. Conolley and his crew have been hard at work. Each day, we climb to the top of the hill with our trowels and buckets in hope of unearthing new artifacts that the Taino people may have left behind. As we scraped the dirt away, we would sift through it to look for any shells, pottery, bones or lithics. We had mostly been finding shells and broken pieces of pottery. However, as we hit the bottom of the layer, we noticed two indentations in the layer of the Marl. At first, we didn’t think anything of it but as Dr. Conolley walked over and saw the indentations, he told us that he suspected that they could have been post holes. Post holes are just what they sound like. It is where the Taino people, who were an indigenous Caribbean and Jamaican people, would have placed a wooden post into the ground to support their house. They would have had a center pole that would have provided the main support as well as other smaller post holes around the center one.

To see if they were actually post holes or not, Dr. Conolley dug further down the indentations. His suspicions were confirmed when we found a circular discoloration in the marl. We then dug a cross section to get a side profile of it and see how deep it went. We could clearly see the shape and determined that it was the center post that would’ve supported the Taino house. We had been sitting right where the Taino lived hundreds of years ago!

Once we knew that we had been digging inside one of their houses, a lot of other findings started to make more sense. We determined that the piles of shells and bones that we had found were where they had discarded their food scraps or trash. It also means that the clay pot found during last year’s archeological dig would have belonged to the same Taino household and that it would have been used to cook their food.  It is really fascinating how finding just one small dark circle in the dirt could tell us so much about the Taino people and how they lived.