Archaeologists In Training

Trowel power!

There are so many wonderful aspects of archaeology and the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project--researching what may be underneath our very feet is quite exciting! There’s nothing like uncovering hidden pieces of the past that have been untouched for centuries. But above all, there is nothing as encouraging as meeting those in the community who share the same interest of preserving history with us!

Me in the middle with campers
Jim and Heather.

This week, we are fortunate enough to have middle school-aged campers working beside us in our excavation units. I was able to talk with a few of these highly interested young students about the project and archaeology as a whole; here are some the responses I received:

Genevieve (2nd year camper): "I like archaeology. I’ve been interested in it since I was five years old. I love how much you can learn from the little things you’re finding.”

Alex (1st year camper): "I’ve always been a big colonial history fan. Fort Michilimackinac (in Mackinaw, MI) really set me off in my interest in colonial history, but I think Fort St. Joseph is really unique. My favorite part of archaeology is water screening because you get to discover what made it past toweling."

Monica (2nd year camper): "I like archaeology because I am really interested in the history before us. I like to dig in the dirt and find stuff. I love getting dirty!”

We all come to the site with different expectations, ideas, and levels of interest. Whether our favorite part is toweling, water screening or simply getting dirty, we all share the same passion: uncovering the past firsthand. We learn from each other, teach each other, and discover the history of Fort St. Joseph together.

“Really, the reason we’re all here is to help preserve history!” -Earl (1st year camper).

Teresa Pizzimenti




Photo credits Cathrine Davis