2007 STUDENT DIARIES Lucy Van Essen-Fishman, Swarthmore College Megan Burns, Southern Methodist University Michael Arnold, Franklin & Marshall College Rachel Dorfman, Vanderbilt University Lucy Van Essen-Fishman - 2 July 2007 Lucy Van Essen-Fishman working in Trench PC 9 with Jess Galeano The last few weeks have been a pretty intense introduction to archaeology. I'm gradually becoming adjusted to the schedule, although Monday morning still feels early. Up on the hill, we're rotating through the four trenches and the survey team. By now, all four of the trenches are looking more interesting, and three have clearly defined walls. As I get better and better at telling the difference between rocks and fragments of Etruscan pottery, I'm becoming more and more engaged with my work. I'm beginning to have a better mental image of the whole site, and I love seeing the individual trenches evolve. Every now and then, my day will be defined by a single artifact-a few days ago, when we found an unidentifiable piece of tile that might once have been an antefix, I was nearly overwhelmed by how much we all still have to find out. Lab operates at a different pace, and it's been good to have a chance to slow down and look at sherds much like the ones we find every day in the field. It's hard to tell, when I find a sherd, that the pot it came from was beautiful, and lab, along with its more practical applications, let's me do this. It sometimes seems impossible to get much information from the sherds, let alone see how they fit together, but I'm amazed by all we can find out. Although I tend to miss the context I can see in the field, lab gives me a different sense of the importance of our finds. Megan Burns - 2 July 2007 Megan Burns and Lauren Jackson working on the bucchero research project I am covered in mosquito bites and scratches and have learned that an "archaeology tan" rivals the "farmer" variety in ridiculousness. I walk up a rather steep hill nearly every day, often lugging a lunch pack or tools along with me. I will likely find Italian dirt in my ears three months from now. But I have never been more excited to get up in the morning and do it all again. There are very few subjects that so effectively combine physical labor with intellectual skills as archaeology, as I have learned in the past couple weeks. Upon entering this program, I had no archaeological background whatsoever, but was purely a student of art history, yet I am a convert. Finding an artifact that has been untouched for over 2000 years is truly a thrilling event. Having said this, however, I have learned that contrary to my original opinion during the first days of digging, not all coarse, small pottery pieces are major discoveries. Walls, fire pits, amulets, bones, and nice rim sherds, all of which have been discovered on top of Poggio Colla this season, are, however, cause for minor celebrations, often involving short dances. Also a joyous occasion is the moment when one learns to distinguish different soil types from each other, a skill greatly enhanced by surveying. Survey, in brief, uses soil samples and inclusions from outside of the main excavation site to connect the geographically restricted knowledge gained from in-depth digging to a larger picture of the Etruscan settlement. This combination of excavation and survey is, from what I hear, not particularly common, but it is truly exciting. Students participate in survey once a week, and it is normally a coveted spot. Thus far on my days alone, we have discovered a three-course wall, untouched tumuli, and several places where the Etruscans likely did not live-information which, though less glamorous, is also very useful. In the trenches themselves, the supervisors provide a very open atmosphere for learning everything from how to distinguish between a tile and sandstone to what German metal bands provide the best dig music. Not only do they teach students how to effectively use a pick axe, a trowel, and a brush (yes, this is one of the few places where outdoor dirt must be swept until it shines), but they simultaneously provide information on Etruscan society and how to write effective archaeological records. This intellectual aspect is continued twice a week in the lab, where our current project is to catalog all of the bucchero, a type of Etruscan ceramic, and in lectures held by a multitude of prestigious and interdisciplinary guest scholars. In addition to this program's focus on teaching novices like me archaeology from scratch, it is also the archaeological dig with the nicest accommodations and meals. Being obsessed with food, I look forward to dinner every day. Cooks provide delicious pasta, bread, salad, and meat in true Tuscan style, leading to the sad fact that, despite our active days, some students still end up with tight jeans. The student contingent this year consists of 9 graduate and 16 undergraduate students, most of whom live in a large house called Vigna. This proximity truly leads to a camaraderie and teamwork, and it one of the perks of the program. To conclude, the settlement archaeology which occurs at this site is not only necessary to gain more knowledge of the Etruscans, but doing it is a wonderful experience. I cannot wait to get back on the hill to excavate tomorrow, mosquitoes and all. Michael Arnold - 24 July 2007 Michael Arnold excavating in a trench on Poggio Colla It is hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of fieldwork. In retrospect our time in the Mugello Valley has flown by, but we all leave here in a few days with new perspectives on a plethora of topics…archaeology, conservation, sustainability, geology, and much more. We are now able to decipher the stratigraphy of a trench or a core sample, we can tell the difference between a coarse ware fragment and a roof tile (something that provided a formidable obstacle the first weeks), and we can appreciate a straight scarp as well as the bouquet of a first-rate Chianti. It is my opinion that the interdisciplinary structure of the Poggio Colla Field School puts it in, forgive the pun, a strata of its own. This experience was more than digging on the top of a hill in Tuscany…it was a liberal learning environment. The well-known scholars that would visit the site would work side by side with the students, which was an incredible way to gain knowledge of the site. As we backfill the trenches tomorrow, covering the many walls we worked to uncover, we keep in mind that our research in the hills of Tuscany this summer will inevitably influence future students and researches. We made an impact…yet there is so much more to be done. Rachel Dorfman - 25 July 2007 Rachel Dorfman excavating in a trench on Poggio Colla There are a million reasons to go abroad - to see a new place, to meet new people, to have new experiences doing new things - and MVAP fulfilled all of these for me. As far as location goes, the Mugello Valley ranks among the most beautiful I have ever seen. It is absolutely picturesque - I have taken literally hundreds of pictures of the landscape, many of them right from my bedroom window. While location is everything, the people have made this dig. If there's one thing I've learned about archaeologists, it's that they like to have a good time. Whether excavating together up on site or stuffing our faces full of delectable Italian treats at dinner, there is never a dull moment in the Mugello. We have also been given the singular opportunity not only to meet experts in the field, but to work with them in a close environment and enjoy meals together on warm Tuscan evenings eating unbelievably good food. It is thanks to the fantastic staff that we have been exposed to so much in so little time, which is one of the biggest strengths of this program. I really appreciated the fact that we were educated about so many aspects of archaeology - from excavation to conservation to the actual material culture we find at Poggio Colla. I have learned more in the past six weeks than I ever could have imagined I would. The work is hard, the days are long, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's unbelievably fulfilling to go to bed at night with a stomach full of the best food in the world knowing you're contributing in a big way to our understanding of the Etruscans. And we have only scratched the surface. I am in disbelief that it is actually over - they will have to drag me kicking and screaming from here or I might just never leave!   Co-Directors: Gregory Warden gwarden@mail.smu.edu and Michael Thomas mlthomas@mail.utexas.edu Excavation house phone during the field season: (011-39) 055-844-9834