It's been over ten years since I last participated in archaeological fieldwork, so I'm terribly excited about the opportunity to work on this project! As most of you know, my MA at Cornell centered around Viking Age Ireland, and, in 1989, I worked on an excavation in Orkney that turned out to be a Viking Age horizonal water mill. I taught a course on Viking Age archaeology while a graduate student, and find the time period most
interesting.

On this project I will be in charge of profiling the trenches: once the backhoe digs the trench in order to see what the remote sensing devices have found, I will look at the stratification of earth and volcanic ash and draw it. This will allow us to date the buried structures that we find. Aside from our own work, we may also assist an Icelandic team on a nearby excavation. Our own work should not result in any finds, because the backhoe will be trenching outside the houses.

On nice days we should expect a high of around 55 F, whereas on not so nice days we will have strong winds, cold rain and lots of mud
in the trenches. We will work in all weather except very heavy stuff. It shouldn't snow while we're there, but one never knows. We will be able to see the Arctic Circle from where we're working, on the various farms, off to the north. We will work a normal eight-hour day and have Sundays off. Schedules must remain flexible, however, so this scheme may not hold for the whole time.

When we first arrive in Iceland, it will not get dark at night. By the time we leave, however, it will be dark enough - for long enough - that we have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights, something that I've never had the joy of experiencing before.

We will be lodging in a house used for dances and other social events, some ten miles north of the town of Hólar. We will use our own sleeping bags on cots at the house, in shared rooms. After our day's work we will drive into town for dinner and swimming. Apparently we will be playing poker on Friday nights.

Internet access should be available in town, although I don't know how often or for how long I will be able to use a terminal. I will have my digital camera and will upload images and panoramas, and update this journal and send e-mail as often as possible.

Shelley will arrive in Iceland and join us on the project about August 22nd. After the project ends on the 25th, she and I will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary by spending a week as tourists.