field logistics and preparation

There's something so necessary and hopeful in having one (or more, if you're really lucky) great thing/talent/possession/understanding that gives meaning to the other daily doldrums of life. Currently, working the rest of my year around the field season is definitely one of those things. It's worth it. Which is why, likely, there are both a lot of people who identify themselves as archaeologists but work at other jobs during the regular work day and make room in the evenings and on weekends for small excursions and research, and even more people who don't identify themselves career-wise as archaeologists, but who spend every season they can volunteering in the field, even if it is only for a few days or a couple of weeks.

Having said that, I don't want to give the impression that only working with 75% effort the rest of the time is acceptable. If you must do something - for whatever reason - choose to do it well, or what is the point?

I will be leaving in exactly two weeks and there is so much to be done before then. As always before a trip, there are last minute things to buy, Canadian dollars to be exchanged into the local currency, matters to be cleared up and put on hold for a few months, people to see, maintenance and tidying to be done, and so on. But all of these things really help to heighten the anticipation.

Field-specifically, there are lists and notes to be written and prepared, whether it is putting together a preliminary grocery list for the Madaba houses, or creating a list of house and field rules and guidelines, or putting together a mini library and extended bibliography to use in the field. So much to do logistically. It's similar to planning a May long-weekend camping trip for yourself and perhaps 6 of your friends, and then times that by 4 for people and 17 for days spent there.

But, then again, I've always enjoyed planning camping trips and outings for groups, so perhaps I have been preparing for this type of work for a long time. Oh, the interdisciplinary nature of archaeological fieldwork logistics...if only the archaeological research could be as interdisciplinary and varied in its approaches.