For my STEP signature project, I chose to do a Mortuary Archaeology Field School in Giecz, Poland. At the field school we would cycle through working at the field site, where we would dig and excavate human remains, animal remains and artifacts, and at the lab where we would clean the bones and artifacts we’ve found. There would also be lectures that would teach us human osteology, with open labs that would allow us to look at the bones.
During my four weeks stay in Poland I learned many things ranging from academic to personal, I saw the differences between American and Polish cultures and learned things I would have never learned at the field school. In Poland recycling was a part of daily life, with our field school mandating us to recycle everything we could, and even when we went to a movie theater there were recycling bins everything. Also, clean energy is very big in Poland with windmills being very common in the countryside where our dorms were located. Working in the fields I learned archaeological methods, like how to survey the land, how to dig, how to excavate and how to map. And through working with human remains I learned Indepth about human osteology.
In Poland I saw how different the cultural norms were from what I was used to. The first thing I noticed was the difference in food, the food in Poland didn’t have as many preservatives, sugar or salt as the food back in America, and overall was much healthier. Another thing I noticed was how easy it was to be mindful of the environment, with there being many more options for public transportation, or walking, and using recyclable materials. And things were a lot cheaper in Poland, it felt more affordable to live there, with fresh produce being more readily available.
In the archaeological field site, I gained a deeper understanding of the process of archaeology, from digging to mapping. With digging for hours on end, excavating human remains and mapping the location and position on a map. I also learned how luck plays a large role, with there being days where we would dig for hours not finding anything. And the days I wasn’t at the field site I would be working in the lab, where I would clean, sort and create an inventory for artifacts, animal bone and human bones. Through this I quicky learned how to tell animal from human bone and pottery from rocks. This helped me develop skills I will use through my professional path to become a Forensic Anthropologist.
At the field school I met many kinds of people from all over the United States and Canada, and became close to the other students, making life-long friends. On the weekends a group of us would travel to different cities in Poland and to Berlin, exploring Europe. With this being my first time staying in dorms, I liked the new experience living with students the same age as me, it allowed me to see what it was like to live independently from my family. The experience allowed me to mature, with me being able to make my own decisions. It allowed me to be more comfortable being myself, and not having to worry about what other people think of me.
In conclusion, going on my study aboard to Poland gave me a unique experience that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. It allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, with me gaining a deeper understanding of both archaeology and anthropology, and the steps I want to take on my path of becoming a Forensic Anthropologist. And having hands-on experience handling human remains and learning human osteology. Additionally, it helped me personally by allowing me to see what life is like outside of America, what it is like living in a dorm, and making life-long connections with the other students at the field school.