Work as an Archaeologist on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest continues to be mighty interesting as we move from scanning Forest Service records and boxing for submission to the National Archives, to being quite active in the field.
During our time we have participated in numerous archaeological surveys in preparation for timber sales, road obliterations, and prescribed burns.
In April, around the Alpine area, we surveyed for road obliteration projects, which are due to the public making unapproved roads on Forest Service land. There once the area is surveyed trucks and machines are moved in to destroy the road with rocks, berms, etc. In this area we found an interesting Indigenous site and many pieces of pottery.
Later we were then able to guide volunteers in a Passport in Time project led by our mentor’s assistant. The Passport in Time project is a way for the public to volunteer in archaeology, in which they aid us our projects. There with my knowledge and my co-workers, we aided the volunteers in cataloging and typing pieces of pottery from Roundy Pueblo. We also were able to take a field trip to our town's local site called Casa Malpais. It was an amazing experience to not only sharpen myself with pottery types, but also in the ability to meet people from all over the country that came to our small town solely for the passion of helping and preserving history.
Currently in May and June we have been surveying every day, 8 hours a day, in the Pinedale area for an upcoming timber sale taking place next year. While the survey is exhausting and in high temperatures, it is still fulfilling to find old railroad historics from the 1930’s and to explore a ghost town made by the railroad. I cannot help but think every time I do this work on the railroads the history the railways hold and how many of the descents of such a system can still be found in our local community. It makes me proud to protect our pioneer heritage and hopeful that by my preservation of the railroad, those who are unknowingly related to the men that built this system someday become connected and passionate about their land and history.
As we continue this adventure, we also take the time to aid the firefighters by raking pine needles around archeological sites for fire prevention as the season for fire begins, and firefighters become overwhelmed.
