What do you need to do fieldwork?

The Archaeologist Toolkit

Trowel

A trowel, pointed and 4.5-5 inches long, is used to move and cut through sediments. The most popular brand of trowel for archaeologists is Marshalltown because the blade and shank are a single piece of forged metal. Since it is a single piece, it will last longer. Trowels have to be kept sharp so they’ll cut and move through the soil.Some archaeologists carry a variety of trowels to make different types of work easier. For example, an Ingalls pick works better for breaking up stiff sediments. The difference is that an Ingalls pick has a longer handle and the blade is a pick!

Ice Pick and Brush

An ice pick or stiff wire is used as a probe to find where large artifacts may be located or to get a feel for the stratigraphic boundaries. Brushes help move sediments and clean objects. Archaeologists have to be careful when using brushes since the color and texture of the matrix blur easily.

Knife

A knife is a multipurpose tool for cutting, chopping, testing soil compaction, or sediment texture. The ideal knife folds and locks in place - this type of knife prevents the blade to close when in use.

Root Clippers

Root clippers remove roots for excavating, photographs, and mapping. Sometimes roots are too think to be cut away with a trowel so root clippers come in handy - especially when an archaeologist is mapping or photographing an artifact.

Plumb Bob and Line Level

A plumb bob keeps the walls of an excavation straight and maps horizontal locations of objects; a line level records depth. Both tools are precision tools for documenting anything that appears in the matrix.

Gloves

Gloves are necessary to minimize cuts, scrapes, and blisters, plus protect your hands from oils of poisonous plants. Archaeologists study what kind of plants are in the area being excavated, and even if none of the plants studied are poisonous, it is always good to have gloves on for extra protection.

Compass

A compass is necessary in an archaeologists’ tool kit because they must be able to navigate both in the field and on maps. A compass is also used to plot the location of an artifact in a site.

Lens

A 10X hand lens is used for examining sediments and the edges of artifacts.

A Field Guide

A field guide should describe sediment texture and classify soil structure and mottling. A Munsell color chart is ideal for field work

Fieldbook

A fieldbook is a daily log of anything and everything done and things-to-do next. Archaeologists cannot always write down everything at the precise moment something occurs, therefore, a jot down notebook is their best friend. A jot down notebook is a small notebook used to write down quick reminders or notes. Its usually small enough to fit in a pocket. It is also common to see clipboard-boxes. these are excellent since they function as a surface to write on, protect papers, and stores pencils/pens.