By Reagan Gibson
Academia is a wonderful place. It is filled with both incredible and terrifying new experiences, in ways that you would never expect. However, in this new and frightening world I have stumbled into, my thoughts are as such:
Working to the best of my ability has been instrumental to the learning process. I have had the opportunity and privilege to meet many interesting people from all across the field of archaeology, and in doing so have provided myself a substantial basis for future success. Understanding the careful balance between a personal peer relationship and a professional relationship with a mentor is a difficultly that had not crossed my mind, but has become ever-present while living in a house together with my teammates. It applies thusly: the beginning of my research lies in understanding the modern practice of archaeological research and how it differs from past methodologies and malpractice. The highest form of archaeological development and knowledge comes from a team built on collaboration and shared knowledge as it applies to the scientific method. This being an instrumental step in good and true archaeology, I find myself constantly eager to learn from every person on this team at Montereggi, and absorb everything they have to offer in terms of experience.
While being on this project, I hope to make use of the countless resources available to me, which consist not only of the tools needed to excavate the site safely and efficiently (such as a pickaxe, trowel, and all of the mapping tools at our disposal via FSU), but also of the people operating these tools. This includes the site director, her advisors, our Italian partners, and the experts which join us on site at any given time. Even though this is only the first step in understanding my research question in ways concerning malpractice and the differences between past and current archaeology, it is paramount to the future of my dissertation research.
At this point in my career, I have had many chances to research and build on my writing skills and comprehension from inside the classroom, but I have never experienced it outside of that context. Being in the field is not only the most exciting and beneficial part of this field, but it also allows me to experience the methodology and work practices of modern archaeology in real time. There are certainly benefits to the research found inside of academia, but one cannot discount the experience one gains looking from the inside. As this project moves along, and as I begin to see the advances in this field, the differences between this and the previous practice of antiquarianism are much more apparent than one might originally expect. Though this project has just begun, I believe I have found myself in the right place.
The technical aspect of working in this archaeological project is the most trying and difficult for me. Not only is it hours upon hours of physical strain and manual labor, but also a brutal and oppressive mental challenge when the hours are long and the days are hot. It certainly puts into perspective why in the past, efficiency was prioritized over slow, taxing, and ethical productivity. Understanding my limits in the field (both physically and mentally seem like my biggest personal gap in knowledge, and I hope to utilize the expertise and apparent mastery of those around me.
Overall, I believe that this experience is easily one of the most transformative adventures of my life. I could not imagine being in another space which could feel anywhere near as perfect.
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