archaeologistproblems

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Fun fact, the reason that Nova Scotia looks like a solid white blob is because at one time we had 187 lighthouses. Each had a unique light (colour, flash/solid pattern, etc.) and unique fog horn, so that fishermen could know where they were in the dark or the fog without other navigation aids.

As an archaeologist in Nova Scotia, I've even done work on multiple historic lighthouses, some on uninhabited islands, where a boat dropped me and a construction crew off each day!

Check out the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society!

Outline of the world by mapping all lighthouses

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Richardson apologist alert! How dare!!

(In all seriousness though, some older collections can definitely be difficult to cite. But if you found it, then just cite how you found it so that the next person can have a hope in hell of finding it too. A title, a date, the circa date the archive states, a URL if you're finding it online, the collection within the archives that it came with, anything. I was trained that it doesn't really matter whether you're citing it in a perfectly accurate style; the goal is to make sure someone else can find the thing again.)

Archaeologist problems: can't heckle a guy to give you his full citation data when he's been dead for 14 years.

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Here’s round two from the bottom half of the page. Harry, you’ve broken my brain enough that I think I’m starting to understand you:

“Said that about 1877 a vessel came into the Basin, some men came off it, and it was found that near the Dickson place at Birch Cove, a square hole was left, (where?) a box had apparently been removed; and the vessel left.”

To quote the writings of prolific curator and historian Harry Piers, “Mrs. Thompson of Hammonds Plains, about 1874, says that ~~~~~ ~~~~, ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~.” Uh, thanks, Harry!

Archaeologist problems: the time it takes to decipher this level of what may or may not be “handwriting”!

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Thank you for those trying to decipher! My actual non-comedic squiggles attempt so far, with the benefit of local context clues, is:

“ Mrs. Thompson of Hammonds Plains, about 1874, says that when (men were?) repairing Kearney Road, many human bones discovered, said to have been in trenches. The place (was?) always known to the Hammonds Plains (proper? People??), etc., as the French Burying ground.”

To quote the writings of prolific curator and historian Harry Piers, “Mrs. Thompson of Hammonds Plains, about 1874, says that ~~~~~ ~~~~, ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~.” Uh, thanks, Harry!

Archaeologist problems: the time it takes to decipher this level of what may or may not be “handwriting”!

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To quote the writings of prolific curator and historian Harry Piers, “Mrs. Thompson of Hammonds Plains, about 1874, says that ~~~~~ ~~~~, ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~.” Uh, thanks, Harry!

Archaeologist problems: the time it takes to decipher this level of what may or may not be “handwriting”!

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A Message of Support from the Canadian Archaeological Association

April 21, 2025

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

The Canadian Archaeological Association (CAA) was founded nearly 60 years ago. Our membership consists of academic, professional, student and advocational archaeologists, and includes individuals of the general public of any country, who are interested in furthering the objectives of the CAA.

Our objectives as a national organization are clear. They include the dissemination of archaeological knowledge, the promotion of active and inclusive discourse and cooperation among societies and agencies, the development of archaeological research and protection efforts, and the fostering of meaningful relationships and collaborative efforts with groups and communities concerned with the Indigenous heritage of Canada. Importantly, we aim to discourage activities detrimental to archaeology.

In recent weeks, it has been interesting and distressing to reflect on the objectives of the CAA in light of events and drastic changes pointed at the work of archaeologists in the United States. Many of us follow the news threads and hear directly from our American partners and co-workers. We have also read the communications from the SHA, SAA, ACRA and AAA. So quickly in the USA, work to revise federal cultural heritage frameworks linked to protection, preservation and regulation, have begun to critically impact archaeology in the scholarly, community, and CRM realms.

The Board, on behalf of the membership of the CAA, is taking this moment to express our support in these dark times. We understand the serious challenges facing archaeologists of every sector. We recognize the significant challenges now facing archaeology, as a discipline and profession, in the United States. There is so much at stake and the ripple effect will be tremendous.

In Canada, the CAA will continue its commitment to fostering and promoting archaeology and cultural heritage in a Canadian context and more broadly, a North American context. We will do this while standing in support of our American colleagues.

We watch and listen with astonishment. We share and discuss your fears and concerns. We remain hopeful for positive reversals of stated pronouncements.

Yours in archaeology,

Katie Cottreau-Robins, PhD President Canadian Archaeological Association

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Some delightful Turnip Head vibes from Mr. Mud. Did anyone try kissing him to turn him back into a human?

Archaeologist problems: when the excavated vegetation heap won’t give you answers to your questions like Madame Trash Heap did.

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Archaeologist problems: when the excavated vegetation heap won’t give you answers to your questions like Madame Trash Heap did.

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I gotta be honest, he's one of the few authors acknowledging that the French colonial "pièce-sur-pièce" style is a generic term that seems to blanket a bunch of very different house construction typologies (à queue d'aronde/en têtes de chien, poteaux en coulisse, etc.), so I'm not as mad as I could be. This dude was as deep into this research niche as I currently am, and I appreciate that.

But come on man, don't get me all excited for the first half of your article and then throw me a citation like this!

Archaeologist problems: can't heckle a guy to give you his full citation data when he's been dead for 14 years.

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Archaeologist problems: can't heckle a guy to give you his full citation data when he's been dead for 14 years.

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A Message from the SHA President

(https://sha.org/message-from-the-sha-president/2025/03/)

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to you at a challenging time for historical archaeology. As you know, the Society for Historical Archaeology is an international organization dedicated to promoting scholarly research and the dissemination of knowledge concerning historical archaeology.  We also advocate for the ethical practice of historical archaeology, and we are committed to diversifying the practice of historical archaeology and providing a welcoming home for all archaeologists. Many of us are employed in cultural resource management, by federal agencies, and in the academy. The recent spate of executive orders has created a number of challenges for our discipline, regardless of our place of employment.

For those of us in the academy, the Department of Education’s Dear Colleagues letter of February 14 (https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-directs-schools-end-racial-preferences), provides a particular interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling and argues that DEI activities are discriminatory.  A number of states’ attorneys general have challenged the letter (https://www.mass.gov/doc/multi-state-guidance-concerning-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-employment-initiatives/download).  This issue will, no doubt, be adjudicated in the courts. Universities saw Pell Grants briefly paused, and have lost funding as federal grants have been paused or cancelled. The Society for Historical Archaeology remains committed to research on the myriad topics that fall under the heading of historical archaeology.  We are also committed to diversity in all forms and will continue to work to diversify our membership and provide a supportive environment for all of our members.

Federal agencies have seen probationary employees dismissed, long-term employees asked to justify their work, and seasonal positions terminated.  We are profoundly concerned by these attacks on our colleagues who strive diligently to protect and interpret our shared cultural heritage. The Society for Historical Archaeology recently joined our sister organizations, the SAA, AAA, and ACRA in protesting the USDA/Forest Service laying off of cultural resources/archaeological staff.

Laws that underpin the practice of cultural resource management in the United States are also under fire.  Changes have been proposed to the Antiquities Act of 1906, our oldest piece of preservation legislation, which challenges the President’s authority to designate National Monuments.  Equally concerning, Secretarial Orders (SO) 3417 (Addressing the National Energy Emergency) and 3418 (Unleashing American Energy) speak to reducing government regulation with the goal of increasing energy development on federal lands. SO 3418, specifically notes that department and agency leaders should “review all relevant internal regulations, policies, and guidance to ensure the lawful implementation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.” The Society for Historical Archaeology joined the SAA, AAA, and ACRA in protesting these secretarial orders: https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-governmentaffairs/final_secretarial_order_statement.pdf?sfvrsn=634a9f2c_3

The Society for Historical Archaeology is committed to advocating for the maintenance of the laws that protect our shared heritage.  We remain committed to an inclusive historical archaeology, and we support our colleagues whose research or employment has been impacted by recent executive orders.  We are actively monitoring the evolving political landscape in order to assess and respond to issues that affect our discipline and we are in regular communication with our sister organizations, the SAA and ACRA. We encourage members to share their concerns with their elective representatives as we work collaboratively to support the practice of historical archaeology in the United States and beyond.

Sincerely,

Richard F. Veit, Ph.D.

President, Society for Historical Archaeology

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I'm not an American but I think a good chunk of my followers are, so, signal boost accepted!

Calling US Federal Seasonals and Seasonal-Hopefuls!

Please help me get some better-than-anecdotal answers for the managers at my work (and elsewhere if I can spread it around).

My next post will share what (little) I've been told about federal seasonal hiring. So check that out if you're in this nasty limbo.

Please reblog for best data!

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ArchaeologistProblems here! I'm an archaeological consultant in Atlantic Canada with specialties in industrial archaeology and historic buildings.

Sporadic posts, usually just funny/silly but sometimes about archaeology workplace safety and such.

Calling all archaeoblurs!

If you're an archaeologist* and have a Tumblr, reblog this or sound off in the comments! I figured it's high time we put together a directory of sorts.

*for our purposes, archaeologist can mean someone who has or is working on a degree in archaeology, you don't necessarily have to be currently practicing. If you have a blog that is specifically archaeology focused, include that and what your specialty is!

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Damn I should have done this at the lab last winter, we had a big bin of things that looked like lithic artifacts until we cleaned them and looked at them under a lens. Just rocks. Please take a rock in this trying time.

Sometimes, I really love working with archaeologists

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I was today years old when I learned that my RPA (Register of Professional Archaeologists) membership gets me JSTOR access! Posting here for anyone who has a membership and didn't know this.

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Researching historic gold mining leads to some A+ advertisements. (For those wondering, a "slime table" is essentially a shaker table to "pan" for whatever mineral is being mined. The term "slimer" can also refer to a machine that finely grinds ore/rock into a wet slurry or "slime." I've encountered the term "slime separator" before but this is my first time with "slimer"!)

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When you’re in the field and you reach your hand out towards a flying cicada, and it immediately comes over and lands on you, does that make you some kind of Disney Princess, or a Weird Bog Witch? Or both?