My First Few Weeks
My mission to prepare for a mid-life foray into archaeology has provided me with unanticipated hope. My soul feels lighter somehow, rather than “heavy with purpose”. Perhaps that’s because this is all my choice, with no expectations and the apprehension that typically accompanies them. Or maybe I’m finally just lucky enough to focus on my passion. Whatever the case, the past two weeks have flown by, and I’ve not had any issue carving out time every day to lay a foundation for myself. Here are the steps I’ve taken since the beginning of April, 2026.
First off, I finally submitted my DNA to Ancestry.com. Although this happened before discovering my purpose, I think it planted the seed. I was told from a very young age that my paternal grandfather was 100% Native American. From my memory of him, I can see that being true. I was raised to not “bother the adults”, however, so I never had a conversation with him about this (or anything) before he passed away. Over the past few days I’ve realized I reeeeeally want to focus on Indigenous Archaeology in the US, but I don’t want to be seen as co-opting. I’m not-so-secretly hoping my DNA allows me to move forward with that focus without feeling like an appropriator somehow.
I attended the MEA retreat, which allowed me to truly discover and feel comfortable with putting effort into this whole archaeology thing. Having a group of 17 other people supporting me has given me a well of both hope and accountability. I wouldn’t be writing this today without them!
I registered for a trip to Greece that includes time on an actual dig simulator. At the end of the 8-day excursion, I’ll be “dig certified”! How cool is that?? This will be my opportunity to figure out whether archaeology is where I truly belong or if I’m just romanticizing it (something real archaeologist struggle with combating regularly, it seems). It sounds like I’ll be the only American in a sea of Brits: heaven for an Anglophile like myself. :)
This is a stock image, which I’ll replace once I have some of my own!
I started this blog as another way to provide myself some accountability. It’s also been my daily mentor, helping me work through thoughts and feelings about my journey.
I wrote to my alma mater, the University of Washington, as well as Western Washington University about taking a few classes as a non-matriculated student. I finally decided to apply as a visiting student at WWU, since it’s only a 40 minute drive from my home and they offer a summer online course. I wrote to the associate professor to see if she might be able to accept me, so am keeping my fingers crossed!
I began reading Becoming an Archaeologist by Joseph Flatman. I’m only three chapters into it, but it’s comprehensive, sets expectations, and has given me so much to consider. It also guided me to research personal blogs from archaeologists around the world, most of which haven’t been updated in years. I’ll continue searching though, as I’d really like to follow along to others’ adventures (misadventures?) in the field. I’ve also bookmarked sites like the Oxford School of Archaeology, but surprisingly, my favorite so far has been by a professor from the University of North Dakota, Bill Caraher. I don’t know him personally, but I like his writing and will likely reach out to him once I know what I don’t know.
I also started re-reading The Iliad as preparation for my September trip to Mycenae. I originally read it as part of my freshman core series on the classics and absolutely loved it. Revisiting it makes me feel like I’m 18 again, for better and worse. :-P I’ve also unearthed my Latin 101 textbook and my copy of Word Power, just in case there’s a translation exercise somewhere in my training.
I became a member of the Archaeological Institute of America. Anyone can do this- you just have to pay a small annual fee. Just having access to the American Journal of Archaeology and a discounted membership to JSTOR will provide me with enough brain fuel for decades. The fact that that thought excites me makes me wonder whether I ought to focus on academic archaeology rather than CRM or other fieldwork, but I’m by no means ready to figure that out yet.
Whew! I’ve been busy, and hope it’s an indication of my engagement going forward and not another flash-in-the-pan exercise that will fall flat in a month or two. This does feel different, and I have multiple branches of accountability pushing me to stay engaged. Regardless of how long this lasts, I’ve having a blast now, and that’s really all that matters to me!