A vibrant scene comprised of large piles of unearthed dirt and busy groups of University of Idaho students, holding both toothbrushes and trowels, has recently manifested itself in spots along the perimeter of Moscow High School.
The Idaho Public Archaeology (IPA) team began their 2023 field season at the beginning of the semester, and will continue their excavation at Moscow High School until mid-October. The project’s undertaking continues on the work and progress established by the IPA’s initial endeavor in 2019.
“The first dig we were trying to just figure out land use,” said Katrina Eichner, a historical archaeologist and UI professor who has been a part of managing the project’s execution since its inception.
Eichner said that their crew is now focused on answering some of the queries that arose during the first trial, such as exploring further into a piece of foundation belonging to the entryway of the original Moscow High School building constructed in 1892.
Eichner, along with Mark Warner and Renae Campbell, are the three individuals facilitating and leading the project. Thirty-five students are enrolled in UI’s anthropological field methods course, ranging from first-year students to those working on master’s degrees, all of whom offer their assistance.
A consistent flow of artifacts has started emerging from three separate areas undergoing excavation. Sanborn fire insurance maps, showing buildings and streets from Moscow’s early days during the late 19th century, provided important context as to where the IPA team decided to dig their units in hopes of hitting cultural material.
The objects being discovered not only correspond to the high school, but with past residential areas that used to neighbor it too. Although bits of glass, nails, and wood have become common to find, a tray full of small and unique trinkets, each enclosed in a separate plastic bag, is on display and growing while on site.
Some of the featured and more notable items on the tray include: an army figurine that’s missing a head, a decorative leaf made of sheet metal, an eye-catching watch fob, an old ROTC medallion, and more.
UI students Jamie Dougall, Elle Norton, and Katherine Ayala sat around a table and explained how their station represented one of the final stages of excavation on the first day. It involved cleaning the artifacts recovered from the pits by using toothbrushes and bowls of water.
During the conversation, Norton expressed a desire to get a master’s degree in archaeology despite currently being a senior studying history. She gave credit to the fieldwork for helping it show her that she “actually really liked it” after being apprehensive about getting involved initially.
Matt Furst and Zoe Rafter demonstrated how to “systemically whack around” inside of a square pit at the site. This broad and humorous description, offered by Furst, references a different stage of excavation where artifacts actually become unburied prior to being bagged, cleaned, and sorted.
Furst, a graduate student studying archaeology, has previously held positions in government archaeology yet conveyed a particular sentiment for his involvement in the IPA’s work.
“I’m actually learning a lot more by doing this than what I did before,” he said.
Rafter, an undergraduate in anthropology, agreed with Furst and also communicated her appreciation for how accessible this fieldwork is in comparison to other archaeological field schools.
“I’m really grateful that UI offered this opportunity because it’s usually like thousands and thousands of dollars,” said Rafter. “It’s hard to explain how much of a privilege this is.”
Moscow High school’s selection as an excavation site was pursued after recognizing beneficial reasons concerning its proximity, partnerships, and potential interface with the public.
Eichner and her colleagues enjoyed knowing that by hosting this project in Moscow, their students would have a level of convenience that isn’t typical of most other fieldwork. Working students would be able to walk to the site, gain practice educating high school students, and engage in conversations with those passing by.
“We are really focused on creating local opportunities, specifically for our students, but again, for the larger public to learn about how archaeology is done, to try their hand at it, and get some experience,” Eichner said.
Massey Jordan, a graduate student studying anthropology whose master’s project hopes to highlight parts of the fieldwork once its finished, talked about how impactful this project has been on the members of the community she’s interacted with personally and who have been shown the artifacts.
“We’re in a community with deep roots in this area,” Jordan said. “We’re uncovering these pretty intimate aspects of Moscow history…so they’re really excited to learn more about the town.”
On average, Americans are far more likely to learn about archaeology by means of TV and museums and, in comparison, rarely get the chance to directly learn about it from local societies or through direct participation. The same poll found that a vast majority of Americans, a whopping 86%, believe that students should learn about archaeology at some point in their academic career.
Not only does Eichner want people to visit and learn about archaeology through this firsthand and locally significant way, but she hopes the subject is able to become more prominent in the curriculum offered to high school students. Especially those who are located just a few steps inside from a functioning excavation operation.
Eichner, as well as Warner and Campbell, are excited about what other artifacts and features may reveal themselves while digging continues for the next four weeks of the IPA’s field season. A similar course guiding the lab analysis of what’s collected will mark the second half of the semester for the cohort of students.
The IPA team will be present and active on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, in addition to Saturday mornings, until the excavation’s conclusion. Warner is ready for anyone and everyone who wants to approach the site and “come see history besides through a textbook.”
The project is also willing to accept volunteers who may be interested in offering their individual support. For those who don’t feel inclined to dig through the dirt for artifacts but would rather do their digging digitally, regular updates are provided on IPA’s Facebook and Instagram.
Herman Roberts can be reached at [email protected]