Another Sunday Morning Grab Bag (Part One)

Every now and then, something slips through the cracks. For instance, I just hit the 'draft' button on my Blogger software. I was surprised to see three almost postings sitting there, all with photos and some text. A couple of the drafts were when work was going on at the Santa Rita ruins. I combined those two and added in a few other photos of the ruins that didn't even make it into a draft.

The other is some nice shots of Dianna and her garden that I have no idea why they never got posted. Senior moments? Could be, could be. Hopefully, nothing more significant. I'll have to keep track of that... if I can remember to do so.

So, here's the first grab bag that I've done in a while. There's so much, I've broken it down into two parts. This is part one.

This bit is from May 22, 2013. It was tentatively titled 'The Dig From the Side; Just the Way You Like It.'

A Lotta Dirt To Move

Just the way you like it. Not sure where I was intending to go with that statement, but I thought I'd leave it in anyway. This is what is found for the most part, I think at any dig. Bits and pieces. It's amazing what they can put together from such tiny little things.

Somebody Done Good

Working an archeological dig was something that sparked an interest with Dianna and myself from way back. In fact, you might say, it was more or less what caused us to end up here in Belize.

I had seen a program on TV about 'working vacations', and archeological digs apparently are always looking for cannon fodder - er, I mean, volunteers - especially volunteers who can pay their own way, both in transport and in food for the duration of their participation.

What interested us was a dig I found on the Intertubes that was occurring about 300 miles up the Amazon from the nearest town. Keep in mind, this was right after the movie Medicine Man, with Sean Connery. It really sounded cool and mysterious.

We were getting ready to start the process of finding out about required shots, stuff to bring, transportation, etc., etc., when I read an article about that very dig in some blog or news item. The thing sounded like it was right up our alley till I came to the part about 'participants would observe only...' Observe only?  We wanted to do and observe. We didn't see much value in traipsing 300 or so miles up the Amazon only to stand around and watch somebody else do the work. Besides the time commitment was a bit much too, something like six weeks, which would have been tough since we were both working.

Still wanting to do a working vacation, we stumbled upon a volunteer program through the University of Washington (Tacoma) Archeology Department, which really sounded cool. it still required a significant time commitment, but it seemed worth it. They would run you through each area of the dig. That is, a few days working photographing items and doing other photo lab stuff, maybe a few days in the art section, where people drew the recovered items, a couple of days running a wheelbarrow, a couple of days here, there, and everywhere. You'd get exposed to every bit of the archeologist's lot in the field.

The only problem with all this was it was in the Jordanian desert somewhere. Can you say 'hot?' Sure, I knew you could. We decided that 120+ in the shade might not be quite our cup of tea.

Then, we found a dig at an Irish monastery in the Aran Islands in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. This sounded at the time, more to our temperament. You were lodged with townspeople in their homes, and the time frame was fairly good.

But then we got turned on to the Peace Corps. I don't know if I watched a program on TV or what. Anyway, longer story short, that was the direction we headed off in. After getting tired of waiting for the Peace Corps, we decided to make our own adventure and came to Belize, where we've been ever since. Best decision we ever made. It's a hell of a vacation.

But, the idea of working on a dig never really did leave us, so this opportunity up at Santa Rita was, by now, exactly what we were looking for. Even though we only actually participated for two or three days on the dig, we felt we did something few other folks really ever get an opportunity to take part in.

So, here's a shot of Dianna and Bruce hard at work at the Santa Rita dig. Bruce and Colleen spent a lot more time here than we did. Bruce ended up lessening his participation as it impacted his golfing up at Consejo Shores, But, Colleen got the bug so much so, that she could probably qualify for a paid position - if there was one.

It Could Be Important

More tiny little bits and pieces. It's amazing how many of these you find on this dig.

It Was A Good Day

A Good Find

Part of a dig, that we learned about, is that you have to remove a lot of rocks before you find the good stuff, if there is any. Then you have to put the rocks back in better order than you found them. Basically reconstructing whatever structure was there in the first place. At least at this dig, that was more or less, the order of business. Below is the pile of those rocks awaiting their turn for repositioning.

Lotsa Rocks to be Used

We did find some pieces that struck our untrained eyes as being significant, such as the piece below. There really were some gorgeous pieces that everyone helped find.

One of Our Best Finds

For a while, Bruce's sister, Maria was in town, so naturally, she got pressed into service, helping on the dig. Just cause you're visiting is no excuse.

Patty's Found Several Pieces

Colleen is showing another small but interesting piece. As time went on, she became quite knowledgeable as to what the bits and pieces were.

Quite the Find

Recovered Rocks Waiting to be Replaced

Denis, Bruce and Dianna working away in the heat.

Running Out of Gas

Here's a shot looking head on to the front part of the ruin.

Santa Rita Ruins - The Big Dig

Off to the side, Colleen found this wall portion that was fit together very well.

Some Original Wall

There were several paid workers there. They were paid by the Archeological Institute, and they moved huge amounts of rock, dirt and other debris. He's loading up the little piles of rubble that each of us created, then moving the barrow-loads over to a bigger pile that will eventually be sifted for even smaller stuff than what we were finding.

Somebody Has to Haul Away the Spoils

A good part of what we accomplished was conversation. Here we're combining both work and talking at the same time.

The Crew At Work

The Outer Reaches

Just as an army moves on it's stomach, so to, does a group of hard working folks on a dig. This is the local sandwich and drink wagon, what we called in the military, the 'roach-coach'.

The Roach-Coach

Here's the pile I mentioned of the fines that are to be sifted at a later date.

The Spoils Site

Even though everyone had gloves, there were plenty of times where gloves just got in the way. Bare fingers were what was needed. Manicured nails don't stand a chance.

There's a Piece Buried

Every now and then, something comes up that really catches your eye.

Two of Our Best Finds

Here's Vivien hard at it. When you're doing it, it seems like you're hardly making a dent in the soil, and then, when you're done, you're impressed at how much you really did get moved.

Vivien's Corner of the World

Always the ongoing debate - is it a shard or a rock? Thankfully we had professionals on site to solve the questions of this sort that we just couldn't answer. They could tell at a glance too.

Is it a shard or a rock

It All Looks Like Dirt and Rocks

A Near Perfect Match

And this next part is from July 2, 2013, and was tentatively titled 'No Dinosaurs Yet.'

Here's the early approach to the dig, way before anything is prettied up.

The Approach to the Dig

Another Day At the Mine

A Lot of Progress

Workers Everywhere

Areas of Emphasis

More Piles of Rocks

Santa Rita From the Road

More Workers

Artifacts Found Here

Rubble Yet to be Sifted

I think they can smell something significant. Just about anytime one of us amateurs found something of note, one of the pro's either the head archeologist or the Conservator would be right there to supervise it's removed from the soil.

Conservator Doing the Detail Work

Thousands of wheelbarrow loads of rock, dirt, and debris had to be moved to begin to make sense of the site.

Wheelbarrow - An Integral Part

Looking Across the Whole Thing

This is what Bruce and Colleen had been working on prior to our arrival on the scene.

Bruce and Colleen's Handiwork

Colleen is giving the twenty-five cent tour to Dianna's brother David, who came down and visited us for a couple of weeks from Colorado.

Colleen Briefing David and Dianna

And that's the end of Part 1 of the Sunday Morning Grab Bag for today's edition. Part 2 will be along more or less shortly.

Where's the Justice?

So, what's the Mayan word for gravel pit? Oh, that's right... It's Noh Mul. Well known hereabouts as one of the oldest gravel pits in the Yucatan, providing hand-carved limestone blocks for gravel for use in roads and whatnot for around 2,300 years, give or take a few.

What's Left of a 2,300 Year-Old Legacy

- Courtesy Lincoln Edward Eiley

The photo above, taken by Lincoln Edward Eiley, Editor, Publisher, Author, and Photographer of the closest thing we have to a daily newspaper, the Corozal Daily... Sometimes (http://www.corozal.bz/daily). See the Website for a couple nice articles and more photos of the wanton destruction of Noh Mul and its surrounding area.

It's great that the world media have picked up on this dastardly act of cultural homicide. I'll tell you, if somebody doesn't go to Hattieville (the Central Prison) for a spell, something is really wrong. I mean, when a man gets sent there for six months to a year for stealing food to feed his family - where's the justice?

But, having said that, I'd be willing to put money on the table that no one, especially any heavy hitter, will do time. Probably the best that can be hoped for, would be the back-hoe operator and/or maybe a dump-truck driver.

It's not like Noh Mul wasn't known. So what if it is on private property? There's a duty owed, moral or otherwise, to the people of Belize... and for the world, for that matter.

Instead of conducting a dig with a backhoe as your primary tool, here's an example of how it's done right - with people who care, who use small tools - trowels, scrapers and the odd shovel or two. Not to mention sweat and physical labor.

 The Santa Rita Dig From the Side

This is how it should be done. I guess we here in Corozal are lucky that the Santa Rita ruins weren't bulldozed to make way for houses or a warehouse, or something.

Granted, Dianna and I only worked the dig three days, at least we were there. Other folks, like Colleen, it almost became a full-time job or an obsession. But it was worth it. Here's some of the almost daily haul of pottery and other stuff that was found at the site. Stuff that could have been found at Noh Mul, if it had been given half a chance.

Collection of Pottery Shards

Doing a dig the old fashioned way. Yes, it was hard work. But, it really didn't seem to be that hard. There was a lot of conversation that took place while working, and at the appointed hour when you knocked off, it was amazing to see just how much dirt you had actually moved.

Bruce and Dianna Concentrating

More Shards

Explaining the Details

Rocks Waiting Repositioning

Most of these rocks have been replaced in the ruins. Really, it looks so good now, that to call it a 'ruins' just doesn't convey how great it looks.

A Nice Detail

Carefully Removing Dirt

Another Nicely Detailed Piece

Another View of the Rockpile

Denis and Bruce Hard At Work

Santa Rita From The Road

A Nice Wall Detail

There were several workers that had been hired by the archeological team to actually do the real grunt work - we were there for fun. These guys busted their asses to do a great job. They moved several tons of dirt and rocks and in may cases, put the rocks back in place again.

They Do the Real Muscle Work

Still, it was hot and sweaty and very fulfilling to actually be able to take part in an actual dig.

A Lot of Fine Detail Work

Another of the Real Lifters

Of course, there always came a time in the morning for refreshments. For those of you with long memories, this is the same guy that used to come around to our place when we had a construction crew for our house. The food and drink was just as good as I remembered it.

The Snack Wagon; Roach Coach; or Gedunk Wagon

The debris pile - a pile of mostly fine rubble that some day will be completely sifted to recover what artifacts as can be found.

The Debris Pile

Making another pottery find. Careful work is called for.

A Pottery Piece Appears

Sometimes, the detail is amazing.

Some More Nice Detail Pieces

Vivien With a Small Find

Even though Dianna and I only made it up to the ruins to actually work on the 'dig', we feel privileged to have been allowed to do so and there is also a certain measure of pride that we had a very small part in helping the project come to a successful conclusion. And it just looks so cool!

Is It Pottery or a Rock?

Two Related Pieces

Now, this morning... Well, actually, just before lunch, Dianna and I finally got up to the ruins to take a few shots of the (for now) completed rehabilitation of the Santa Rita ruins.

This Is The Way A Ruins Should Look

It's hard to imagine that people would be willing to destroy their own heritage for road fill... Not even a decent price for a historically priceless thing. But then, what do I know?

An Oblique View. Looking Nice

 The Santa Rita ruins is supposed to be developed as a Wedding Center. Can you imagine a night-time ceremony, back lit and all? How romantic.

This is one of the side walls that helps frame in the grounds facing the ruins.

A Side Wall of the Ruins

Here's my final shot of the ruins. Looks quite magnificent, don't you think? Unless of course, your thing is road-fill, then there's still more work to be done... "Bring in the dump trucks and loader!"

Santa Rita Ruins - Looking majestic