If you’ve ever wanted to be an archaeologist, the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources can give you that chance. For more than 30 years, summer archaeology field school programs have been offered to students and volunteers alike, no previous experience needed.
This year the State Conservation and Rescue Archaeology Program (or SCRAP) spent time in “the Hollow” at Livermore Falls to excavate an area next to the Pemigewasset River that has a long history of occupation.
“We’ve got all these layers of stuff. Native American stuff mixed in with historic material which is very unusual,” said David Trubey, an archaeologist with the N.H. Division of Historical Resources. The group also stumbled upon modern day “artifacts” left by beachgoers as they combed through the dig site looking for materials that could tell them about the 19th-century mill town that once stood on the grounds or the Native Americans that pre-dated European settlers.
After volunteering with the SCRAP lab for a time, Mike Corey of Chester decided to sign up for the summer field school.
“I’m recently retired, so able to take four weeks to play in the middle of the summer,” Corey said after using a sifting screen to quickly separate dirt and small stones from larger objects that are then considered individually.
His partner for the day, Brian Howe, 18, of Vershire, Vt., heard about SCRAP through the Vermont Archeological Society and signed up to get some real experience in a field he’s considering as a career.
“I plan on studying archeology and art history in college,” Howe said.
Sign up for next year’s field school is not yet available, but more information can be found online at nh.gov/nhdhr/SCRAP.htm and by contacting David Trubey at david.trubey@dncr.nh.gov or 271-2813.