"Digging" up the past

Homolovi Ruins State Park, near Winslow, Arizona, is mainly that - ruins. Most are buried, though you can see the outlines of houses and kivas. This is where the Hopi lived - along the Little Colorado River - before moving up to their current home on the three mesas. Before it became a state park and thus protected, a lot of damage was done by pot hunters who even brought in backhoes to dig up the ruin. Pothunters probably broke more than they found and are likely responsible for hundreds of shards scattered throughout the several ruin sites.

A group of archaeologists were doing a dig while we were there, led by a professor from the University of Michigan. Three students were participating for credit, the rest had grants to pay their way. They lived in RVs in the park campground.

It was hot out there on the dig, but all seemed dedicated to getting as much done in the two months of the dig as possible. At the end of that time, the sites would be reburied. One group was specifically looking for square pithouses; round ones had already been excavated in the past. They had surveyed underground by passing an electrical current through the ground to identify where there were likely structures. Every bit of dirt was sifted for sign of human habitation. They had already found a lot of pottery shards and jackrabbit bones.

If you would enjoy being part of a dig, for even a short time, a good source is Passport in Time (PIT), a volunteer archeology and historic preservation program of the USDA Forest Service program. PIT lists projects throughout the U.S. There is no fee to participate. Facilities for volunteers vary; some projects do have RV sites available. You might also volunteer at a national park. At Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, for example, one volunteer camp host couple volunteers for the archaeologist on their days off.

Shortly before we hit the road, Historic St. Mary's City in Maryland had a dig where the public could participate for the weekend. It was quite thrilling to sift dirt and find something besides rocks left on the screen. Almost like panning for gold! If you still like to play in the dirt or be part of unearthing a mystery, check out volunteering at an archaeological dig. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on all kinds of volunteer opportunities, see Jaimie's 2nd edition ofSupport Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, available at the RVBookstore.com