Orgame 2011: The Archaeological Field Experience in Romania
Nicole Aszalos:
“On the first day of excavations I found a really nice curved piece of pottery and when I washed it that weekend, there was a nice red leaf decoration on it. Then just last Friday I dug up those bones which were pretty exciting. But the best part of the trip was meeting everyone here and becoming friends with them and experiencing the culture (and the food). I will definitely miss here when it’s over.”
Carolyn Clarke:
“On August 25, 2011 in the morning I found a small shard of an Archaic piece of pottery. The piece came from the bottom of the pit dug in the center of Tomb 3. It is easily identifiable because of the black lines on it that would have spiraled around the neck of the piece, the rest is painted red which is rather rare according to Dr. Schaus. He also says that it is easily the oldest fragment found in the Necropolis thus far.”
Shelby Haggerty:
“My name is Shelby Haggerty and I'm an undergraduate at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, I worked at Orgame this summer with a fantastic group of Romanian and Canadian sudents! My best find was located outside the cenotaph tomb, where I found the beginning of what turned into a cluster of 7 amphorae, as well as pieces of a painted fish plate, that were likely involved in a ritual connected with the cenotaph.”
Frances Jardine:
“My name is Frances Jardine, currently I am going into my 4th year at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. Even so I am enrolled in the Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology Program, I tend to favour Classical Archaeology. Therefore I attended the field school at Orgame, Romania in which I found a bronze coin from Histria; my best find yet! Surprisingly I found it on the day of my Professor's, Gerald Schaus, birthday.”
Thomas Krol:
“Working in Orgame this summer - my first excavation - was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed all of it, however slow it could get at times. It was always exciting to find something new, or to clean a sherd and realize there's paint underneath all the dirt! I definitely do not regret choosing to go into Archaeology, and I'm so glad I got this opportunity to do such great work with great people!”
Anna Laytner:
“This season of excavation at Orgame was my first field experience and it exposed me to a variety of excavation methods and techniques; from remaining topsoil to delicately excavating sherds of pottery and learning the technical details of drawing. I discovered that I really enjoy drawing detailed plans of features on the site! My most thrilling find was uncovering the lower half of a terracotta figurine of a boy, possibly Eros. Not only have I improved my knowledge of archaeology while at Orgame, but I have also met amazing people and had such a great time in Romania!”
“August 22, 2011 (16th day working at Orgame)
Our excavating manner has improved noticeably since the first day we started excavating at the site. We use to focus on removing the dirt and material quickly to reveal the features and tombs. Now that all the tombs we are going to work on this season are revealed, we are focusing more on the smaller material finds that we previously left in situ. The students are more experienced now and are using the skills they've acquired over the past few weeks to carefully reveal and remove burial goods.
I have been excavated in Tomb 7 and working on revealing a large broken amphora. The vessel is located right over the pyre and we are finding a lot of burned areas. In this day alone I found more material than in any of the other days working at Orgame. It has been a very exciting and productive day!”
Sarah Timmins:
“My name is Sarah Timmins and I am going into my third year of undergraduate studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. I have enjoyed the past six weeks digging in different sectors of the excavation area including inside tomb one and finding two clusters of ceramics near the pyre. These clusters included pieces of an un-burnt amphora, jug, a burnt kantharos and a drinking cup.”
“This dig at Orgame/Argamum was my first practical experience on an archaeological site and I couldn’t have been happier. The most exciting day for me was digging in tomb 7 and excavating the funeral pyre. The numerous artifacts uncovered made for a thrilling and informative day. Apart from the archaeology, the experience wouldn’t be the same without the people I’ve met along the way. Special thanks to Dr. Lungu and Dr. Schaus as well the whole Argamum team. Cheers to the family (you know who you are) who have made the experience unforgettable.”
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