28 June, 2001

Wagaa Welcome (Aleut)

We went out to our sites today, three of them. The first is Beach Ridge TEL 026, the second, North Trench 079 on the mound, and the south trench 079, also on the mound. In the morning it was sunny, we had to even take off our jackets, it got so warm. We started by digging and removing the dirt >from last year. The sites were covered with a tarp and filled in with the dirt >from the dig. We have to remove the dirt, reach the tarp, and then begin on a new surface. In the Arctic region, you can only dig so far and you reach permafrost. The ground is frozen. I learned how to use a trowel today. After you dig with shovels, you have to get down and trowel the dirt away. When we reached the permafrost, we went to another site to let each site thaw. We were then able to continue our digging. The weather started getting windy and much colder as we went into the afternoon. We basically dug from 8-4:30 with a lunch break. At the end of the day, Chef John and Maria took us to New Orleans with their spicy Red Beans and Rice. We have definitely been eating well (Mr. Haigh, I do not know how I will do on our weigh in's when I return).

Tomorrow we have heard that people will start arriving for the dance this weekend. They were coming from Little Diomede, which is an island off of the coast. There will also be other guests arriving and a potluck supper on Sunday. It is now 10:30P.M. and it is very light out. I better go try and get some sleep, archaeology is extremely hard physical work. Many thousands of years ago, all animals and people migrated across the Bering Strait, into North and South America. Very Powerful!!!!!!!

Mike was a great drummer as well as an amzing dancer.

These are the drummers, who led the dancing.

Julie and maria are measuring up a unit.

The Dance, after over fifty years. The following pictures are examples of a wonderful time.