If you ever feel down just think about how happy a future archeologist will be to find your bones. They will love your bones so much. They will scream in happiness and do a little dance when they see your bones. Your bones will be so meaningful to them.
Our bones our the blessed of bones. Our bones shall echo through the pages of history
Can vouch for this. Unless your bones are in a stupid place. Please be mindful of where you leave your bones at all times. When possible leave prior warning. For example a grave stone. No one likes surprise bones.
Can confirm, your bones will make some of us extremely happy; we are deeply weird but usually in a positive way. If you have bad arthritis we will feel sympathy for your pain. If you have big muscle attachments we will admire them. If you have delicate cheekbones we will ponder what you looked like. We will mourn you and be excited to “meet” you.
But yes, please try to ensure your bones are in a spot where bones should be. Marked cemeteries, etc. We like to plan our days accordingly.
@archaeo-geek@micewithknives other than gravestones/cemeteries = good, are there any other good places (or especially BAD places) where i should leave my bones?
Columbariums, acceptable. Ossuaries, good. Museums or science centres, possibly, depending on some ethics factors. At a shrine somewhere as a cool mummy, yeah I’m good with that if you are.
At a historic disaster site like a shipwreck, battlefield, volcanic eruption, etc., fine, but only if we can as a society move past the tendency for looters to be rudely turning over your bones searching for artifacts. Stop that.
In a random unmarked grave behind your homestead because your spouse couldn’t be bothered to take your body to very distant consecrated ground (and therefore to a known burial area), very bad. In a privy, very bad. Under a road or sidewalk, very bad. In a plastic bag abandoned in the woods because someone kept your skull around as a lucky charm for years and then decided to ditch it (yes this has happened), very very bad. Do not do.
You may leave your bones where @archaeo-geek disapproves of on the condition you leave forewarning. You may leave your bones wherever you wish as long as you leave a sign.
May i recommend:
please leave multiples just in case someone decides to take your sign for their own purposes
Today, I was digging holes in the woods, but I happily managed to finish digging all the holes on time and was able to go home to my own bed rather than get a hotel.
I was wondering why I was so tired when I finished the project in 8hrs before I realized, oh yeah, I also drove for two hours each way, so it was a 12hr today. No wonder I’m no longer functional.
Generally love to talk about the past with each other. Sharing different kinds of source material for private projects. Thesis subjects are always a safe start
Archaeologist vs. Family members
Little to no interest in your work day. Human remains is a risky subject. But you are consulted for information after news articles.
Archaeologist vs. The public
You’ll either receive every history related question someone has ever wondered about although none of them make sense or people are turned off by everything you tell them (dirt, mud, human remains and no dinosaurs). Also, what d’you mean archaeology is physically demanding?
Archaeologist vs. Older people
Don’t understand the purpose of archaeology but they do ask questions about what the job is actually like, usually followed by some version of “if I ever find something I’ll never inform authorities because it’s so expensive”
Archaeologist vs. Construction workers
Understand the physicality of our job. Don’t understand why walls are important but are familiar with sharing sites with archaeologists. Tend to be interested for a short while.
Archaeologist vs. Middle age desk job worker
Honey how do you get along in life? Is archaeology even a real job?
Archaeologist vs. Kids
Usually ask very good questions because they are genuinely interested and pick out little details.
Archaeologist vs. Another archaeologist
The best conversations we have and the most comfortable we are with them. But oh boy are you sure you want to know about our subjects
A) Smaller trowel means getting into tighter spaces between rocks more easily. More precision.
B) Hard to show how much my joints are worn down and my muscles built up over time in the field when I am still using said bones and muscles. Worn-down trowel chronicles experience in the field, instead of just behind a desk, which I’m proud of.
C) Archaeologists, are by definition, obsessed with objects that tell stories.
(Most archaeologists I know either wear a trowel down like this, or more commonly lose it when it’s only halfway worn, and mourn its loss for years after they’ve replaced it.)
@aura218 okay but consider this: in another two years it will be even more tiny.
(I do actually have another trowel that is closer to full size, for light sands and loams when I want a larger blade.)
A) Smaller trowel means getting into tighter spaces between rocks more easily. More precision.
B) Hard to show how much my joints are worn down and my muscles built up over time in the field when I am still using said bones and muscles. Worn-down trowel chronicles experience in the field, instead of just behind a desk, which I’m proud of.
C) Archaeologists, are by definition, obsessed with objects that tell stories.
(Most archaeologists I know either wear a trowel down like this, or more commonly lose it when it’s only halfway worn, and mourn its loss for years after they’ve replaced it.)
There are three main kinds of responses to my post about the dangers of historic mine tailings:
- People who have explored or wanted to explore old mining areas and definitely won’t now (thankfully!)
- People who also have experience with how extremely toxic abandoned mine sites area and have extremely terrifying stories to add
- Artists who didn’t know Prussian Blue is ferrocyanide (spoiler alert: so is Turnbull’s Blue! But they’re both a pretty stable form. Just maybe don’t lick it.)
Please also enjoy this nugget from my provincial government’s info sheet about mercury and arsenic in mine tailings:
Fourth category of people: those who assume I’m talking about the western United States when I say “gold rush.” Folks, the gold rush was all over the place. I’m in Nova Scotia, where we had three gold rush periods (I thought there were just two but when I went to check the dates… there were three). You are not outside of the reach of these risks if you don’t live in a place like California!
Having done a lot of work in port towns on archaeological monitoring for infrastructure repairs, I can promise you that even if the town’s governing body promises there’s no raw sewage going into the harbour… there are absolutely a surprising number of pre-1900 sewers that are still feeding raw sewage into the harbour. Pick your poison I guess?
There are three main kinds of responses to my post about the dangers of historic mine tailings:
- People who have explored or wanted to explore old mining areas and definitely won’t now (thankfully!)
- People who also have experience with how extremely toxic abandoned mine sites area and have extremely terrifying stories to add
- Artists who didn’t know Prussian Blue is ferrocyanide (spoiler alert: so is Turnbull’s Blue! But they’re both a pretty stable form. Just maybe don’t lick it.)
Please also enjoy this nugget from my provincial government’s info sheet about mercury and arsenic in mine tailings:
There are three main kinds of responses to my post about the dangers of historic mine tailings:
- People who have explored or wanted to explore old mining areas and definitely won’t now (thankfully!)
- People who also have experience with how extremely toxic abandoned mine sites area and have extremely terrifying stories to add
- Artists who didn’t know Prussian Blue is ferrocyanide (spoiler alert: so is Turnbull’s Blue! But they’re both a pretty stable form. Just maybe don’t lick it.)
What the gold rush means to most people: Prospectors! Dusty mine cars on tracks in the wild west! Gold nuggets!
What the gold rush means to an archaeologist: Hmm, where on this 100-acre plot of land covered in contaminated mine tailings do I think these clowns might have buried barrels full of literal cyanide?
How dare you leave this nugget hiding in the notes!
Why were they burying barrels of cyanide? How and why would you even compile enough cyanide to fill multiple barrels???
My friend let me introduce you to the terrifying process of cyanidation, wherein finely crushed ore containing traces of gold is made into a slurry by adding water, then transferred into vats known as “slime separators,” where potassium cyanide is then added to leach the gold into a liquid. Slaked lime is used to prevent the cyanide from going into full Murder Mode as hydrogen cyanide. The gold is then separated from the cyanide through one of a series of processes that I’m not really qualified to explain, but I think there are a few websites that talk about them if you want to google them.
But the key point here: from what I can tell, cyanide has been the main method of getting gold out of the ground for the last 120 years. (Yes, this process is still used today.) Before this technology came along, instead a thin coating of mercury was spread onto a copper plate, and the ore was allowed to wash over it. The gold stuck to the mercury, creating an amalgam, and then the amalgam was scraped off the plate and the mercury was boiled off (urk) to leave the gold behind.
And when processing mills shut down historically, why bother to dispose of your leftover deadly chemicals properly, when you can just bury them in your local tailings pile, which is already contaminated with mercury and arsenic? The known case of this happening in my local area was revealed through a bloom of “Prussian Blue” (ferro cyanide) on the surface of the tailings. Luckily, this is a fairly stable form of cyanide. Unluckily, geologists are crazier than archaeologists and they went ahead and dug a sample test unit right next to it, even knowing what it was, because science.
When I said to myself, “I’ll be an industrial archaeologist. It’ll be cool,” I did not foresee the terrifying knowledge it would unleash upon me.
I’m from Goldrush Country and I didn’t know this. All the gold-mining-related historical attractions around here are about good old-fashioned panning and pick-axes. Now I’m incredibly glad I’ve never had any urge to go explore the suspiciously colorful hills left in the wake of various mining operations.
Eek! Please don’t play in tailings piles and outflows folks, they are Bad News. “Oh but it’s lovely sand we want to take our ATVs out on it and let our kids build sandcastles” NO. DO NOT.
Reblogging because some desert-dwellers might not know this. Yes, those pretty hills are probably within ATV driving distance of Amargosa, Ocotillo, Buttercup, Superstition or whatever other recreational area you might be camped out at, but rainbow-colored dirt is usually rainbow-colored for toxic reasons!
Absolutely! And bear in mind too, not all tailings are brightly coloured - the ones in my area are just light grey. “Sand in spots where sand isn’t common” is sometimes the only warning sign.
I’m reviving this post because I’m doing up a Health & Safety protocol for digging near a mining site and folks. I did the math based on some recent soil tests. The tailings near my test site contain enough arsenic that ½ teaspoon of soil (tailings) easily contains a fatal dose of arsenic for an adult. Please stay safe and wash your hands thoroughly before eating/drinking/smoking if you aren’t 100% certain what the dirt is like where you’re digging.
dear archaeology tumblr people who keep adding things onto my dream post: i now worry about all of you
I feel like I had an anxiety dream one time that I kept stumbling out of my bed to try to excavate my unit, which was simultaneously existing both in the spot it was supposed to be on a site, and also sunk directly into the carpeted floor of my bedroom. Can’t remember much more than that though.
Okay I just remembered that back in 2016 after I had spend a solid 2 weeks of 9-hour days excavating a mass secondary interment (55 disarticulated skeletons in a grave about the size of a bathtub; more bone than soil), I woke up in the middle of the night and started rooting around in the folds of my quilt in the dark, because I knew I had just lifted out a femur from the grave and set it down somewhere, but where was it? I have to put it in the tray to move it to the lab!
if you ever get a rash in the shape of the target logo, especially up to a month after going hiking, camping, a stroll in a park or forest, or being near plants with any skin exposed, you need immediate medical care. a bullseye rash is a sign you have been bitten by a tick that causes a progressive autoimmune disease called lyme. not all people who get bit develop rashes. rashes can take weeks to develop after being bitten.
the longer you wait for treatment, the more likely you are to have permanent damage, need a pacemaker, or die. if you find a tick attached to you, carefully remove it, place it in a plastic bag, and seek medical attention. early treatment is essential.
going off of the number of ticks i’ve pulled off of stray animals lately, this spring and summer are going to be Extremely Bad.
Keep your pets up to date on tick prevention meds
Check your pets carefully after they come indoors. Ticks tend to prefer the areas behind the ears, under the neck, around the nose, genitals, and anus.
Wear long pants with the cuffs tucked into your socks. Basically, try to reduce the amount of skin that’s exposed while you’re walking in long grass.
Use bug repellent with DEET
Check your body carefully when you get inside. Ticks are especially fond of areas where your skin is very thin, but will bite whatever they can reach. Pay particular attention to your legs, under your arms, back of your neck, scalp, and genital area.
When removing a tick, DO NOT SQUEEZE IT. This can cause the tick to just… spurt everything it’s consumed right back into you, which is Very Bad. You can use tweezers, if you’re careful, but I prefer using a specific tool for it. The tick twister works wonderfully and is very cheap. It comes in a two pack, with two separate sizes for different ticks. It’s very important that you remove the head of the tick.
Lyme disease isn’t the only tick borne disease. Hereis a list from the CDC, along with areas of concern.
Once a tick is removed, the site will probably be pretty itchy. Try not to scratch it. You can use cortisone cream to reduce itching.
For Lyme disease in particular, a tick has to be attached to you for at least 36 hours. Other diseases can be transmitted more quickly.
Once you’ve removed the tick, take a clear photograph of it. You can dispose of the tick in alcohol to drown it or place it in a plastic baggie. It’s important to keep either the tick or the picture in case you develop symptoms.
Removing the tick can leave the head. Before physically attempting to remove the tick, drown the area in alcohol by soaking a paper towel or cotton ball to the point that it’s dripping and cover the tick with it. I’ve never actually had a tick attach itself to my skin, but based off of years of removing ticks from my dog and horses, at least 5/10 this will cause the tick to detach itself from your skin.
If you’re in Europe, there’s a lyme disease vaccine, get it now if you plan on being out in the fields/woods. (us in the US aren’t as lucky because the anti-vaccine movement here got the lyme disease vaccine banned)
- Be aware that the exact strains of Lyme disease found in Europe vs. North America are different. Getting vaccinated in Europe does not mean you’re protected from the disease in North America.
- Be aware that some tick removal methods may cause the tick to regurgitate into your bloodstream as it detaches, increasing your risk for Lyme disease as well as the similar condition of anaplasmosis. I can’t vouch for the alcohol method listed above, but I’ve been advised not to try things like taking a lighter to the tick to make it detach for this reason.
- Animals can also get Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. I know three horses that have had it, and luckily early treatment saved them before their neurological symptoms became permanent. Watch your animals for unexplained symptoms like lethargy and clumsiness. My dad’s horse, a life-long glutton, decided not to eat his grain one morning for the first time in his life, and that was enough for me to identify other symptoms (slight drag in one leg, low fever) and call the vet.
- I’ve had pretty good success with a simple pair of tweezers on all my animals, and luckily haven’t had one manage to attach to me fully yet. I usually shower in the evenings instead of in the mornings, mainly because I have a job that covers me in dirt sometimes, but also because it gives me an opportunity to check myself for ticks as I shower. I’ve found 3 ticks on myself this way. Use your bathroom mirror to check your back. Check your scalp with your fingers as you use shampoo, and run your fingers against your skin through any other hair on your body to check, too. I’d say about 80% of the ticks I find on animals, I find using my fingertips rather than my eyes.
- Permethrin-treated clothing is the only thing that I’ve found works consistently well to repel ticks in deep woods situations. Tea tree oil, other essential oils, and even DEET are all only moderate to low protection (ticks dislike these things, but a few ticks may decide they’re desperate enough to deal with them to get to you. Permethrin actually kills ticks). But if you have permethrin or permethrin-treated clothing, keep it away from cats, especially in liquid form - their nervous systems don’t metabolize it as well as humans and dogs do.
- Be aware that the bull’s eye rash only appears in something like 75% of Lyme disease cases, and is also less likely to be visible on darker skin tones. Don’t assume you don’t have Lyme disease just because you never noticed a rash.
People that think archaeologists are concerned with protecting the status quo or are afraid of “rewriting the history books” are so funny because every one of my archaeology courses is chock full of
“now I really don’t like this term, but we need to use it so remember it’s problematic”
“I disagree with this author a lot but I want you to make your own conclusions”
“archaeologists in the past didn’t know what they were doing and this has been recently disproven”
and my favorite, “this is what we think about this now, but once your generation does further research that will most likely change”
