Gator Clan (Day 4)

Day 4
Day four of the dig was very eventful for the gator clan. We found many piece of pottery, points, pieces of arrow heads and fire cracked rock. The gator clan moved around a lot, we started out at 3B and finished at 4B. 4B was the most successful spot we ended up at. Our leader, Terry, was really good at pin pointing where most of the artifacts were. We have worked very hard even though its been really hot. Together as a team we did really well. We would work together and never claimed a certain persons name on our finds. To us if one of us found something we all had put in a part when finding it and the tasks were divided up evenly. I am very thankful I got to be a part of Community Studies this year and if I could do it again I would.

Raven Clan Day 5

The community studies dig is always a big success with the students and the teachers. During the dig, every group found some great artifacts to show the town of Roanoke. During the week, some days was hot and some were cold, but most were hot. On day one, it was really hot and that was the day were we just got the stuff ready for the dig. The rest of the days were really hot and we had lots of fun, we listened to music, had mud fights, and also had fun on the back of Lexis truck. We even went to the swamp and had a good time there and also got very muddy there. All in all, we had a good week and found some great amazing artifacts.

Ravens Day 5 ( Entire Dig Experience )

  The annual community studies dig, from what I've heard, is always a success. The students usually find great artifacts to show the citizens of Randolph County. The Ravens didn't find many "great" artifacts to present this year, but we found something a little better than that. Not only did we learn the procedures of an archaeological dig, but we found a way to work together and form friendships within our groups. While participating in the dig, we worked super hard digging and sifting, but while doing that we found a way to make it fun. We went from "hitting the quan", to having mud fights, to riding around in Lexi's truck listening to music. I am very thankful for this Community Studies class and the educational, yet fun, archaeological dig and even though we are no longer together everyday, we will always be "Ravens".

Gator clan Day 5

This picture is of the gator clan and our group leader, Terry. I believe that our whole group had a great time during the dig. Terry taught us how to find artifacts and always kept us laughing. Terry would actually help us do stuff and he tried to help us with whatever he could. He told us about stuff that we didn't know about, and in my opinion, is the best group leader we could have had. our group was the group that found the drills, and some knives, and flakes from points and knives. My faorite quote was from Terry. He said "We don't put just an individual name on the bag, we put the group name on the bag because everyone found it. The people who shovel dug it out, the sifters found it in the dirt, and the cleaners cleaned it off." our whole clan learned more on this dig than we ever could have learned by ourselves. It kind of threw us off that the corn wasn't cut, but we made the most of it. We had tons of fun and would definitely do it again if we could.

Day 5 - Wide Awake

This picture doesn’t have everyone in it, but it pretty much sums up how the dig went for the wide awake clan. We are the swamp people of Handley High School (tours are $5 a person). Anyway, Heather was usually capturing a funny moment to post on her snap chat story. As you can see, Ken and Jenae had made it as far as they were going; they were going to live to tell the story if something happened to us (lol). Elizabeth and I were laughing about something most of the time. In this case, it was because my boot was stuck in the mud and the chances of it coming out didn’t look to promising. At this point, we could barely see Will because he was so far away. I guess we all trusted his outdoor skills when we continued following him through the marshy area (except for Ken and Jenae who were going to be the survivors). Coach Glass surprised me when he too was following Will through the muddy swamp. Apparently, he has different shoes besides his white Nike’s and likes playing in the mud. Devonta, in his polo boots and all, was walking along with Coach Glass and Will. He was a pretty fearless group leader. Mrs. Awbrey didn’t accompany us on this adventure into the swamp, but she was very helpful to our group. On a serious note, the wide awake clan found many artifacts and were in search of more. We were digging in what we believe to be an old house that burned down. We found many broken dishes, old bottles, pieces of a tiny child’s tea set, a bird pendant, and other unique pieces. I would say the dig was a huge success for the wide awake clan. I am glad I had the opportunity to discover historical things and grow closer with my group members. However, I doubt any of us were wide awake after the dig was over.

Bears Day 5

Throughout the week, us bears were quite busy conducting several different tasks to make the dig successful for not only our group, but for others as well! We weren't as stationary as the rest of the groups because Dana, our group instructor, told us we will be doing things differently from everyone else. On the first day, we were told that we were to set up a dig site. At first, we weren't sure on how to begin, but we immediately picked up on how to complete it on our own. Doing this required using lots of math skills and different tools along the process of completion. Each stake we used had a specific location and direction to be placed. Each day we set up these digging sites for each group. For about two days, we had to look at different rocks to determine if those very rocks were used to grind corn with and find out how long they've been there. By working together, we successfully completed this assignment. Another thing us bears completed was setting up stakes in different directions (North, South, East, and West) along the corn field by using a compass and tape measure. Speaking for the entire community studies class, I think we would all enjoy coming back to do this dig again if we had the opportunity. It helped us bond and build stronger friendships that will last us a lifetime.

The Ravens day 4

Day 4 of the dig the Ravens had a lot of fun. From the pottery findings to the mud fights in the hot sun, we continued to work very hard. We mostly screened all day long checking to see if anything was in the mud, and we also went down another view inches in the dig site. Day 4 was not as good as day 3, it was a long tiring day. It was extremely hot with the weather at 84 degrees but we continued to work hard. Us Ravens, were determined to find stuff and come to find out when we probed in one of the spots we found some water, which was neat. The Raven clan is ready to see what day 5 had in store, and what other fun we have on day 5 since we already had mud fights on day 4.

Bear Clan Day 4

      Upon arrival on the site with good attitudes for the day, Dana immediately told us we had something to be done. Today, we learned the process of using the scope to measure the depth of the holes of digging sites in respect to the surrounding ground level. Following that, measuring the distance from the corners of the hole to the artifacts found. All of this contributes to pin-pointing the exact location of artifacts found in order to gather as much evidence of the ancient "neighborhood" as possible. Having the responsibility of the recorder/draftsman, this gave me a lot to record in my notebook. Next, the clan worked together using math, handy-dandy square rulers, and hammers to correctly expand the digging squares of site 3B. This proved to be a challenge for us to figure out. We helped the 3B group dig some, then were called to duty again. Using the measuring tape, compass, a good eye, and a hammer, the team constructed a professional, archaeological connection with stakes of two dig sites. As depicted in the image included, this took teamwork to be done right. At first, we all honestly wondered what the purpose of spending our time on this was; I thought it would be to improve our understanding and mapping of their village, since some sites were supposed to be houses. After completing this task, Dana let us know multiple times how proud he was of the precision and professionalism of our job well done; I ended up being pretty proud of it, myself. Finally, the bears ended the day by conjoining with another clan to help dig and sift through the dirt. Ending on a positive note, many of us found pottery, drills, and points. We wrapped up in prayer, discussion, and good-byes to Dana and Nana to conclude Day Four of the experience.

Day 4
Ragor aka (alligator/ raven clan)
Even though I haven't been with my official group I believe that they have been doing very well. The Raven Clan have done a great job at cleaning out the spots and and we have sifted and sifted and sifted some more. We have found many little pieces of fire crack rock, pottery, arrow heads ,some broken some not, and the weight of an atladel. Today I found a half broken arrow head. We have worked hard and and very carefully. I am just really sad that the dig is almost over, but it was really hot today and this week but it was worth it. Doing the dig has made me feel like I was in the movie Jurassic Park because you don't know what to expect. In all This has been really fun, busy, annoying, and a team building exercise. It has given us time to learn about each other and to learn that we could be walking on Indian grounds everywhere or even right behind our houses. I am very happy that I got to go on this dig.

Day 4 wide awake clan

Today's dig was extremely interesting.I'm pretty sure everyone in the wide awake clan can agree to saying that. Today was probably the most they have ever gotten dirty all this year .First we gathered all of our tools from the previous site, and began or walk to the creek . Mostly we were all just trying to see what all we could discover along the creek. And actually trying to see where the creek eventually ended at.Once we accomplished our plan we began digging along the creek trying to see what all slwe could find near the creek .In all each and every one of us had a blast today !

 "My group and I have learned so many things over the past couple of days from being taught how to correctly use a metal detector to perfecting our knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem. We've learned to tell the difference between a point and an actual arrowhead, and how to use tools, in the appropriate ways. We've been taught how to determine if what we've found is pottery, just by a little spit too, who knew right? We've also learned that just by paying attention to our surroundings we can learn so much about the history of an area. By the way the soil looks and the changes that occur within it. By satellite images we've distinguished that we are digging inside of a village, and the horseshoe shaped creek surrounding the area is just more evidence. Speaking for myself I never realized opening my eyes and paying attention to my surroundings could tell me so much about a given area, especially after getting below the plow zone! As this week has progressed I couldn't speak more highly of my bear clan, anytime one of us has been discouraged or down in the dumps someone is always quick to crack a joke or be at someone's side. We've become more or less a family and I myself am thankful for the relationships that have developed in the days that have passed. I'll never forget the experience that has been provided for us this week. I've learned so much about everyone in my clan and how funny it is when you pretended to be Tarzan and swing on a vine and land right on your back but no one hesitated to make sure I was okay before we all got a great kick out of it, being put in the woods with six other people on the first day was a bit intimidating, but it forced us in a way to get to know one another, and I couldn't imagine this experience with any other clan."

Day 3 Raven Clan

Today was a fun, interesting, and hot day for the raven clan. We are quickly learning that being an archaeologist involves a lot of hard work and patience. We found a lot of interesting things in our area today, but the most interesting thing we found today was a part of an atlatl. An atlatl was a type of spear that native american's used to hunt. The Raven clan is getting a long well an we are finally realizing that working together can do a lot when it comes to archaeology. Today was a really great day and I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Day 3

     Today was a great day of laughter and ache for the Wide Awake clan. We have learned that being an archaeologist is hard work, and you have to be patient and determined to find new things. I, Will, learned that sometimes the shovel can slip and you can fall on your back giving everyone a good laugh, and Heather learned that a Benadryl can knock you out after you have an allergic reaction too a bug bite! Archaeology is a task that is very fun and it always turns out real good when you find interesting things. We found a lot of old bottles, a spoon, and a bird that might have went on a necklace. We have all realized that when we work together we can accomplish a lot. We've learned that we get along with each other and we work well together, even if we don't hang out much at school. The Wide Awake clan is ready to get back at it tomorrow and we are hoping for a successful day!

Day 3 Alligator Clan

Today was a good day for the Alligator Clan. We moved to a new site and found some good stuff ! We have been bonding, working together, and having a great time. We have learned that archaeology takes hardwork, teamwork, and WORK !! We've learned that the old houses sunk into the ground, and we even found a piece of the wall. We also learned that when u square off your plot, flatten it out, and leave it over night, if u come back and the dirt changes color it could have been a stream there. We're ready to go back tomorrow to see what we'll find next! #TeamGators 🐊

- Kira & Alexis 

The ravens

I've learned a lot of things these couple of days, I learned that there is a lot of a hard work.
We have found interesting things, I thought when I got there that we was just doing a whole lot of digging, I thought that we wasn't going to find anything, we've found points and other things as well.
I also learned that it was several Indians that lived in the corn field we may find where they built there house from years ago.

Day 2- WideAwake Clan

Today we had a very good day. I think out of everyone we have one of the best spots in my opinion. It seems to me that we have found a old house that has burnt down. We have found types of clay and also very old unique types of plates. Everything that we have found looks very good after it was clean. We also found a old Clorox bottle like wow who would have known. I am very must looking forward to finding more things on day 3.

Day 2- Raven Clan

Today could have possibly been described as slow and tiring for the Raven Clan. Mrs. Baldwin said that some days are just like that- some days are stones and some days are gold. Today was just stones, but that's okay. This morning we started out in our first site, and found a bunch of firecrack rocks. I believe that that site was very close to an old fire pit. Then we decided that there wasn't much to be found, and started digging in the corn field beside the Alligator Clan. It was still slow there, and the dirt was much wetter and clumpier. We did find a few things though: Lindsey found three Creek points and I found one, and one point was especially pretty. Dana said that it had been traded to the creeks. We're supposed to be looking for houses but we may have gotten into a grave, I'm not too sure yet. But I do believe that tomorrow will yield many more results now that we've gotten a nice foothold. At least I hope we find what we're looking for, because it sure is a lot of work to move sites.

Day 2 - Alligator Clan

Today was a good day for the alligator clan. First we started out in the corn field and started digging there. We then began to move on down a little further and started to dig some more. Once we started digging at the point we was at yesterday we wasn't finding anything but sand rocks. So we dug some more and we found some coal were we believe the Indians once had a fire pit. We didn't only find coal but we found the start of some points and some fire-cracked rocks. We stopped digging for a while and took a little walk, while walking we found some more rocks that the Indians could have used. I believe we will find more interesting things on day 3 and we are looking forward to it!

Day 2- Bear Clan

Today was a successful day for the bear clan. We found many things being that we set up all the sites we are usually the first to inspect where is the best place to dig. During the morning we cut our way into the cornfield to probe the ground for soft areas. We found an amazing spot to set up a double site. Later today we headed to the beginning of the road to analyze the boulders on the shoulder of the road. Our task was to look for bowl shaped indentions in the boulders that could have been used bowls to grind corn. We found many pieces of Quartz and sandstone. As we dug a little deeper we found pieces of what looks to be hand sized grinding rocks. Day 3 I believe will be the day and we will "strike gold".

Day 1- Wide awake

Today my group and me wasn’t expecting to find much on the first day, because today we just use the metal detector to see what we can dig later on.  We experienced well working together in the wide awake group and working well with other groups having a great time. My group and I learn what to look out for the next day when we dig. We know its hard work to be digging all day, but it’s great to start finding some cool artifacts. Today we started digging close to the corn field, but we didn’t find anything besides fire crack rocks and some nails. We start to dig where the road was divided at and we use the metal detector to see can we pick up anything interesting. We pick up a lot of things and we started digging, but we haven’t found anything interesting yet. Hopefully through this week we can start to find some cool interesting artifacts. I’m ready to start digging again its very fun and I can’t wait to start doing the corn fields tomorrow. Quote from Devonta Foster, “Wide awake let’s dig and dig till we can’t dig no more.”

Day 1 Ravens

My expectations on the dig was to learn more about the Creek Indians. Everyone in our group worked hard to find as much as they can. We expected that the jobs was tougher than was done. Everyone broke a sweat, but not because of these jobs being as hard as manual labor. My experiences on this dig was learning these humps were and piled up dirt were. We also got to test pottery on finding the date by licking it. Most of my expectations were met except realizing that there was still a lot of corn left in the fields. Day 2 I expect that we will go different places that the other groups went and experience new things.

Day 1- Bear Clan

    Coming into the dig I think we all thought we were just going to be digging with no extra work other than that.  I have now learned that there is much more to it than that.  Everyone has their role yet no one person is ever left to do a job by themselves.  I came to the dig first of all expecting there to be a clear corn field for us to work with.  My expectations were way off with that one.  On Day 2 I believe that we will all be a little more prepared and a little less confused.  Hopefully Day 2 comes with a clear corn field!

Community Studies Dig Day 1 (Alligator Group)

 Today my group and I  expected to not find much because today was a day of setting up our dig areas. We experienced how well everyone in the Alligator group and other groups around us worked together. We also experienced that the Creek Indians used to river reeds to make their arrows. My group and I expected to learn how to create and measure out a dig site. The expectation to create the perfect dig area were met today on dig day 1.  We expect for the job to be tough but in the end for it to be quite worth it. Today we went to the end of the corn field close to the Wedowee Creek and set up our dig area. In this area the map shows the signs of a possible Indian home. We got to experience that looking at the date on the trash you find can tell you a good bit of information about the area it was found in. Our expectations were met because we were taught how to create a dig area, we learned how to spot artifacts, and we experienced how tough this dig is going to be. My group and I anticipate that we will start to find more fire cracked rocks and other signs of Indian artifacts as we begin to dig deeper into the soil.  Quote from Cailey Holloway, " Lets get diggin' gators".