Extra Innings, With No Steroids Required

So things are beginning to wind down for good old PAX (Proyecto Arqueologico de Xtobo). Next week will be our final official week of field work. This week however, has seen the completion of the absolutely necessary test pits, and we have moved into bonus territory. Unfortunately for the boys from Ucu, my interests do not seem to align with theirs. You see they seem to enjoy it when we dig pits next to the larger structures, as those pits produce large numbers of artifacts. I however keep asking them to dig by the little house mounds, which produce very little in the way of artifacts. From a sampling prospective there are simply more small house mounds, and therefore it is important for us to test more of them then the other types. From a social studies standpoint, I’m well aware that the inhabitants of the large structures had access to more resources, and I’m much more interested in affirming just how much the people of the smaller residences had access to. I try to explain this to my boys, but every time I bring them up to yet another small little mound they like to point out the other larger mounds in the area.

With the end in mind, I would like to thank all of you who have kept up with the trials and tribulations of my recent life as an archaeologist. It has not always been easy, and it has been very nice to know that people out there are interested in what has been happening. I will update you all on our final week in the field, but after that Mixtu’ux will be shutting down until another field season arises. There will still be plenty of work at hand, but it will be slightly less interesting lab work. I mean I’m sure you would all love hearing about how I spend all day staring at little bits of pottery, but I will restrain myself.