Tiffany Peacock I University of South Carolina I Anthropology &               History Major

     It is still hard to believe that I traveled to the Philippines this past summer. Being my first time outside of the United States, I never thought that an opportunity to study abroad would be possible. Quickly becoming one of the best times of my life thus far, I shared moments which created nostalgic memories with a cohort passionate about Anthropology that will never be forgotten. 
    Attending my very first field school, the Ifugao Archaeological Project became a place where I shared many firsts. First time flying out of the country, first time being so far away from home in South Carolina, first time visiting the Philippines, first time being in the mountains,  and first time doing archaeological field work. One of the most memorable aspects was my first time experiencing the Ifugao culture and all it had to offer! From all the amazing food and the breath taking views, the cordillera highlands are very rich in beauty and filled with a story that can only begin to be understood by seeing the Ifugao province in person. I am still very honored to have been given this opportunity and I am also very thankful for meeting the volunteers of SitMo, Dr. Stephen B. Acabado, Dr. Adam Lauer, all the helpful graduate students, and the various locals who visited headquarters for allowing us to learn more about them and what makes the Ifugao special as an ethno-historic people.
    “There is no Me time, there is We time!” This statement was very comical and ironic because it spoke the truth about being a part of an archaeological field school. Spending a lot of time with my peers allowed for building new and better life skills when working and living together during the project. Also, I learned how to actively work and conduct research in a collaborative way that I will be able to apply in future research projects to come! Overall, being in the Philippines changed me as a person in that I do not take anything for granted and that ultimately the small things in life do not matter. Only the pivotal moments which will define my character are also the same moments which will propel my motivation to be successful and ultimately proud of all of the achievements that I strive to gain!
Conducting excavation fieldwork was very rewarding but it also required a lot of hard work! Waking up at 5am to start work days was difficult in the beginning but became second nature towards the end. With the encouragement of our field leaders and our field crews, the heat from the sun was not as bad while we all pushed to continue digging each and every day. With the help of Rihanna’s “Work, work, work, work, work, work, work…” excavating was even more enjoyable because of us all doing archaeology because we love it. The greatest memory about being in the Ifugao Archaeological Field School was how well everyone got along and the friendships that I have made will definitely last a lifetime. 

Upon completion of my first field school and transitioning into my final semester as an undergraduate at Hunter College, I cannot fathom how much of a packed summer I’ve had. I’ve been back in the States for almost two weeks and I’m still trying to digest and process what it is that happened in Ifugao!
         So here’s my recap:
          -Learned practical applications of theories studied in class
             surrounding Anthropology and Archaeology
          -Learned how to excavate
          -Learned how to accession
          -Learned how to fall several times (off the terraces and into the
           river)
          -Learned how to get back up even more times (from falling- see
           above)
          -Learned to come to terms with parting from meaningful
          relationships built in such a short period of time that I’ve no
​          doubt will last a lifetime
                  I initially joined IAP as a last minute applicant via IFR with the intentions of determining what it is I’d like to do after finishing my BA in Anthropology. I did that. However, IAP was so much more than I expected. I am forever grateful for the amount of learning that took place in the span of just a month. As a New Yorker attending a primarily commuter school, I learned to adapt to living in a room full of other people, having to conserve water and electricity, REALLY picking up after myself, and more importantly where I stand as the individual I am (an outsider) to a community that was so warm and welcoming (Ifugao).
                  As it turns out, this project revealed much more about myself than I initially intended it to. I approached it as a student and left as a more whole human being. More specifically, it helped me to acknowledge my Am-Fil identity (Doc, Post-Boklay Festival). See, before this trip, my “Filipino-ness” was something that I placed at the back-burner of my suite of identities. Before this journey, I was (still am) an active participant in politics and grassroots fundraising and I focused my efforts towards progressing human rights, specifically in the sphere of the LGBTQ community. I am a QPOC (Queer Person of Color), but I often times identified more with the former half of my identity as opposed to the latter half. This could have been for a number of reasons- my accessibility to queer theory and gender studies in NYC, my rejection of exploring organized Fil-Am groups in college, or maybe even chance.
                  Despite this preexisting circumstance, going to Ifugao made me stare at the Filipino element of my identity right in the face. This was the first time I had ever been to the northern part of the Philippines, and before this trip, I discovered how imperative it was to identify where your parents were from! I found myself telling people that my mom is from IloIlo in Visayas and my dad is from Manila. The simple discourse of doing so forced me to think critically about why Filipinos in the Diaspora do that… I’m still perplexed by this and cannot generate a straight-forward answer, but what I can do is certainly identify that the Philippines is not homogenous and there certainly exists aspects to it that I have yet to discover.
                  Anyhow, returning from this trip and sitting in a Starbucks in suburban Westchester right now makes me proud of this unique quality to my identity. I’m encouraged to speak Tagalog more frequently in my home, to hone and define what it means to be Am-Fil, and to be more interested in this element of my intersectional identity (i.e., QPOC). I feel like I’ve broken a boundary that has restricted me from exploring my Am-Fil identity and I could not be more excited for the future and what’s to come. Thank you so much IAP, SITMo, teachers, new-found friends, and IFR for allowing me to do this. See you soon :]

Margaret Palaghicon Von Rotz
UCLA
 
When I started this field school, my intention was to write a paper, learn some more Tuwali, and head home. I never imagined leaving the IAP (I say IAP because I'm still in Kiangan with family as I write this haha) and end this summer with some amazing friends and connections that I may never have had otherwise. I knew that coming home through the lens of archaeology would make me look at Ifugao differently, but I just never guessed how much! Returning to Kiangan without the IAP had me searching for our little road to Habian by Omar's, remembering the little waterfall on the way to our field days, reading the "Welcome to Tuplac" sign and passing by the way to Asipulo. There's suddenly new meaning to these roads, suddenly new people for me to visit with my family (hello SITMo!), and a new appreciation for where I come from.
 
The IAP taught me so much about myself on a cultural level; I've really learned to own my indigenous Tuwali identity while also be critical of my Western, outsider upbringing. Doc really challenged me after wayyyy too much bayah and asked "are you Fil-Am or Am-Fil?" Those types of exchanges really enriched my summer and make me thankful to now have these questions to constantly evaluate even after my summer here ends. 
 
But the IAP also taught me about myself and my goals. I came here with no intention to take an Anthro class or an archaeology class, and now I'm leaving with a newfound love and appreciation of archaeology. I actually LIKED digging in the hot sun, with fears of dengue, and even accessioning until I got carpal tunnel syndrome. No matter how grueling or tedious, I felt like I was not only learning but also contributing to a body of knowledge in a very concrete way. I was learning about and interacting with a people from the past in the most tangible way possible, and that's something I've been craving in many of my social science classes. 
 
I should probably mention the post-harvest rice festival, the Boklay Festival in Asipulo, because it truly captures just how much this summer meant to me, as a second-generation Tuwali-American. Some highlights: teaching dinnuy-a for the first time to friends, drinking bayah for the first time, and pounding rice for the first time! But what resonated most with me was my first time seeing a mumbaki perform. I'll admit, I had quite a bit of rice wine by the time he got to the offering of the chicken to the bulul, but as he butchered it, I literally started crying with tears streaming down my face. It wasn't my first rodeo with the butchering of animals, but I really had never experienced something so... Deep. In some weird way, listening to the baki made me feel like I connected with my mom as a young girl when she witnessed this very ceremony, connected with my late Apu, connected with all the generations who came before me and considered this type of moment sacred. And I cried, because I couldn't handle that much culture at once. Again, I might have been flushed by imbibing bayah, but even that sums up my summer pretty well LOL.
 
When I applied for this program, Doc gaffed at my "I'm thinking about sociology for my major" comment and said, "You know, a lot of students in the past have left the program with lifelong friends. They've also switched to anthropology and archaeology".  I remember thinking, "Sure, Doc. Whatever you say; I just want the chance to go home." I guess you can say I told you so when I get back to UCLA, Doc!
 
Much love and thanks to my new friends and colleagues from the IAP, and to SITMo for becoming a part of my Ifugao family. Thank you all for the most amazing summer and the beautiful memories! I can't wait to see all of you again, whenever that may be. To Ifugao, you will always be home to me. Haggiyo!

It’s been 14 years since I left the Philippines not knowing where my life is going to be. The eldest son of immigrants from Overseas Filipino Workers program, born in Saudi Arabia, I immigrated to the United States in 2003. I served in the US military for 5 years and traveled the world until my discharge in 2013. With a vision of serving humanity and learning more about cultures, I find myself deeply fascinated with Anthropology. The rest became history. As I read more and do research and with great mentorships from passionate professors I decided to focus on archaeology.
I am interested in sacred landscapes and ritual spaces primarily on caves. The rich indigenous culture of the Philippines presents an opportunity for me to explore this theoretical framework. My experiences from archaeological studies in Mesoamerica, Mojave Desert, and San Nicolas Island allows me a unique perspective in looking at sacred landscapes and I want to transition this culmination of interests to the Philippine.
I completed my bachelors in Forensic Psychology while serving in the United States Navy. After discharge, I intended to pursue a second bachelors in Anthropology until I was discovered by my current advisor Dr. James Brady and suggested I applied to the graduate program. I intended to study the Philippines as my geographical area of interest to do archaeology. However, taking classes with Dr. James Brady presented a unique opportunity for me to explore Maya excavations in the jungles of Belize in caves or subterranean spaces. The subterranean features are not only rich in material remains but also a source of great archaeological data. 
Before I stepped into archaeology, my interest has always been to study and contribute to the history of the Philippine Islands. The route I took brought me to different areas of studies. This path introduced me to different environments making me flexible and adaptable in situations. My military experience had already made its contribution in the field as I help patched an injured friend during an unfortunate accident. I have enriched my skills in research during the time I spent in the graduate program in Cal State LA and I will continue to do so as I move forward in my studies.
The opportunities given to me by Dr. Stephen Acabado to join the Ifugao Archaeological Project (IAP) fulfills a long overdue research interest. Compared from my different field experiences in Mesoamerica and Mojave Desert, excavating in the rice terraces I experienced its own environmental challenges.  Belizean jungle excavation is humid and hot, but excavating under canopies makes the heat bearable. The desert can be scorching hot but mountains and hills are really good shelters. The rice terraces require long treks to reach the excavation site under the scorching sun with few opportunities for shades. It’s only been one week and I suffered heat exhaustion in the field. Despite the difficulties, this field school contain the usual laughter of students eager to learn archaeology.
The great thing about going back to the Philippines to do field school is the recognition how comfortable I am to be around my culture. Karaoke is a staple past time for Filipinos. During off days, we sang from the Karaoke machine while we enjoy bottles of Fundador and San Miguel Beer. Sharing this experience with individuals who share a common passion about Philippine culture and more importantly Philippine Archaeology makes this an awesome experience. We ride the “Jeep” to and from the field. The ride doesn’t have a divider and we all squeeze in together like sardines in a can sharing the stench from a hard field day. Arriving in HQ, we get in a circle and talked how the day went for the students and look for ways to improve the learning and living conditions. Overall, after only a week of spending time with the crew, IAP field school is an awesome and fun experience to learn archaeology in the Philippines.

Ricardo Iglesias III, UC Berkeley
June 29, 2016

I felt the need to dig after a full day of accessioning the day before, but today’s weather was extremely hot. My group worked on Trench 19, which was filled with rocks everywhere. The plan was to expose the rocky feature first before digging any deeper. To my dismay, digging through rocks with a trowel was extremely time-consuming and tiring. Using the pointed tip of the trowel, I became proficient with leveling out the trench even through rocky features.

My favorite part of the day, as always, is lunch after a hard morning’s work. Today’s lunch consisted of munggo and vegetable stir fry. Eating lunch under the shade of the granary, with light breezes blowing, my Tang juice at hand, and the view of the fields and mountains – this has been etched in my mind each field day. My second favorite part is learning to use the pickaxe to dig deeper and faster through the trench. Though it makes my arms very tired and sore, I like being able to dig the trench faster. By alternating the pickaxe from my right hand to left hand, I feel as if I’m working out both arms and learning how to be ambidextrous. #fieldschoolperks

My least favorite part of the day is the heat (as always). At some point, I felt like I overworked myself and ran out of sugar in my body. That first drink of Tang literally saved me from feeling like I am about to knock out. That said though – I still made sure to take my breaks when I can. I think the heat today was just really extreme – not a cloud in the sky to provide shade.

When we got back to headquarters, the first thing I did was take off my shoes. I found out that my calves got burnt because there’s an obvious tan line where my socks were. The second thing I did was buy my ice cream – mixed ube and mango on a sweet, sugar cone. This is another favorite part of the day. As I wait to get my order, I usually talk to the vendors’ son – Jesse Boy. I feel like it’s become a routine for me to chill and eat ice cream right after a field day. I have become more cognizant of the simple pleasures in life, especially being in the province. #thatprovincelife.

My chore group is in charge of accessioning for the evening, and for a solid 2 hours, I was writing as small as possible on the sherds we recovered from the day before. Since I was so tired from going to the field, I solely concentrated on getting work done and didn’t talk as much to the people I was working with. At about 8:30, we finished our chore and simply relaxed. I was talking to Maddie for a bit and she caught a rhinoceros beetle that flew into the lab room. I love the bugs that fly around in the house, and I love the people’s reaction to them even better. At the end of the night, Maddie was dubbed the #BugCatcher because of her bravery to capture an insect. I just videotaped everything she was doing, haha.

As the days go by and more hours spent on the field, I feel as if I get more and more into digging. I am learning to trowel better and at the same time, learning my own limits and capacities especially under the hot sun. Field school is nice, and I’m happy to have met good friends along the way.

Chris Roldan
CUNY Hunter College
​
                  Like my fellow field-school classmate Lo has mentioned in her blog post below, field school is muddy! I also think it is hard work. As for living with, getting along with, supporting my peers, and learning from teachers, one critical aspect to maintaining our sanity is having fun! After all, “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” So what better way to have fun in the Philippines than some drinking and karaoke?
                  Karaoke night was this past Saturday and as group B scrambled to get the dishes done to join in on the festivities, my energy was wearing thin. However, this was just what we all needed. Some booze, camaraderie, and bonding time. Some of us went to visit Manang Pauline at the Sari Sari store to get some last minute san miguels and Red Horse. Can you believe these are just 50 pesos (~1USD)?! That’s better than any happy hour I’ve been to in NYC.
                  Professionalism is so important, but when we are in the conditions that we are in, after hours of trying not to dig too deep into lvl 2, being pulled by my crew chief for shots was a blast (haha, hi Maddie). I learned that a lot of us anthropologists and archaeologists are not the greatest singers, but it was a trip listening to Nate belt some T-swift, the New Yorkers singing “Empire State of Mind” in our New Yawwwk solidarity, and of course seeing Doc join us for “Bakit ngayon ka lang”. This IAP crew can get wild!
                  After lots and lots and lots of drinking, the night died down as Mauricio serenaded us with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and one-by-one people drifted to their beds for rest. We ended with a night cap sitting out on the front lawn listening to Maddie play her uke while munching on pulutan i.e., snacks to go with drinking (chicharon, chips, etc). I could not have asked for a better way to end our first week in field school! 

Matthew Ordinario, Fordham University
IAP 5.0 Blog

    It’s been a year since I came to Ifugao for the first time, and returning made me realize how much I really missed Kiangan, the town in which we have taken up our temporary residence for the duration of the field season. Being able to walk to the town center from our headquarters in the SITMo (Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement) house, seeing the much loved dog of our neighbors, Bon Bon, and buying a Royal Tru Orange (the Philippine version of orange soda) from Ate Pauline in the sari-sari store (pretty much a variety store) next door all awakened this sense of nostalgia within me.
It was just around this time last year when a past me, unaware yet eager, got his first taste of fieldwork and what it takes to do field Archaeology. I remember, of course, my very first day vividly and how I joined the “Terrace Divers Club” on our way back from the field by gracefully sliding off the narrow and dangerous muddy path into an irrigation ditch and spraining my ankle in the process.
    Since then many things have changed. Being with the Ifugao Archaeological Project for another year has let me see how much I have changed in the past year and how I compare to many of those around me who are now having their turn experiencing their first field school. Coming back has enabled me to refresh what I learned last year in terms of setting up a trench, troweling, mapping, balancing across the rocks to reach the site, and even using only two tabos of water to take a shower.
Even more than observing how far I’ve come from the past year, it’s actually been very fun helping many of the other crew members learn field techniques alongside refreshing my own knowledge. Being a returner, I’ve become a sort of gray zone between undergrad and grad student, especially when considering that I had just gotten my bachelor’s degree about a month ago and that I have been part of this project previously and know how this specific field school works. In addition to learning how to do specific tasks, I’ve now also been learning how to properly direct others to do those same tasks to slowly understand how to run a unit.
With all that said, today was pretty busy, with our field crews setting up two 2 meter by 4 meter trenches at the Old Kiyyangan Village site in the only dried out rice field for as far as the eye can see. Because Archaeology relies heavily on what the conditions are like at the field, we were unfortunately unable to set up more units, but for now Trenches 18 and 19 should suffice and hopefully we can set up more later on in the field season. Actually, the biggest thing I’m happiest about is the lack of flooding. For the past couple of days there has been very little rain, and while this might not be good for our water situation at home it has been great in ensuring that our trenches aren’t like the muddy pits from last year that still haunt my dreams. In terms of our new field crew I’ve really been enjoying everyone’s company, probably more so than last year. We have a nice balance of personalities that thankfully have not shown any signs of breaking down so far and I have high hopes in having considerably less drama. For now, I guess I’ll just keep on chugging along. After all, there are always more things to see and learn.

Lorena D’Urzo, CSU-Chico
June 25, 2016

Today was the first day that we began excavating the Old Kiyyangan site. We separated into four groups and began mapping out our 1X1M units. This is done so that we can fully see and make note of everything that is being found within our units and the region that we are trying to understand as a whole. Each group was able to find ceramic sherds and a few found some fauna. Each group was also able to learn how to use the Trimble, which is basically a GPS system that graphs out the areas using the satellites. Overall, It was a great first day, most of the students who were accepted into the field school have never actually done field work. The only bad thing was because we are working in rice terraces, a lot of the soil is wet and makes it very hard to walk in, so a lot of the time we were sinking in and getting muddy (which comes with the job). What was wonderful about today is being able to go out and learn the right way to measure out our units and the right ways to use a trowel, and shifter was really great and will come in handy for future jobs. Now for those who do not know, a trowel is an archaeologists best friend, without it we would not get anything in the field, it is our chosen tool. What also made today so great was the team units were able to not only become closer but understand how each other works and the good/bad things about working with each other.
    Even though we were not supposed to start excavating where we did, we made it work and did a great job. But that is what we signed up for as future archaeologist/ anthropologist, things will come up and change all the things that we had planned to do. Hopefully things will continue to go well and we can continue to discover more of what the rice fields have to offer us. 
    Once we were done we headed back to the house. The way back was a little harder because of our muddy shoes, but we were able to make it back home with everyone in one piece. Being the first day, everyone was a little bit on the tired side, and just wanted to rest. That was until the rain began, now being from California we get ran, but nothing like this. It is cold rain that will pour done on you, and the best part about it was when a bunch of the Graduates and undergrads starting to shower in it (fully dressed of course). It was one of the best things I have ever done, I never thought that showering in the rain could be so fun and lively, an experience that I probably would have never experienced. 
    So far this has been an amazing field school, not only have I gotten to experience a wonderful place. But I have learned so much about the Philippines, the people here are great and even though the driving is crazy I am really glad I decided to come here. Not only that, all the people in the field school have been so incredibly, the faculty mentors that decided to come and help out, have so much to teach us and have been showing me that archaeology is what I want to do with my life. Even though the field work can be rigorous and the conditions cannot be that great, you learn to deal with it and actually enjoy what you are doing. It does help when you are working with a great team as well. I hope that others will choice to do a field school, and it would be even better if they chose to do it in the Philippines, because there is a lot to learn about all the different regions and provinces in the Philippines. 

Emily Zulueta 
CSU-LA
6/23/2016
Our first day in the field began with breakfast at 6:00am and departure at 7:00am. The morning was a little hectic because, although I’ve been planning this for weeks, once actually getting ready, I was trying to figure out what I’d actually need in the field today. To get to the site we took a short ride on a Jeepney. If you go to the Philippines, whether you’re in the province or city, be sure to travel by Jeepney at least once. It’s a cross between a Jeep and a bus and is a common mode of public transport over here.
We arrived to these rice terraces and had to hike through them to get to Old Kiyyangan Village. It was so surreal. I’ve seen the terraces in pictures, but this agricultural technology holds a unique beauty that exemplifies human’s ability to shape the land. We had to carefully navigate around the rice terraces, as they were actively being cultivated and walking on them could potentially destroy the whole crop. There were slippery stones, makeshift bridges, unexpected holes, and creek crossing, but we all made it one piece! 
Upon arriving in Old Kiyyangan Village I actually did not know we had reached the site since it was in the middle of an irrigated rice field. I was surprised because I expected that Old Kiyyangan Village would be in a remote location that has been deserted by past peoples - an untouched landscape. It was interesting to see the continuity of Ifugao cultural practices. For instance, they still grow Ifugao rice varieties and use technologies that were used in past. Some of the terrace walls are built with cement and others were constructed with the traditional technology of boulders and mud. It changed the way I think about archaeological sites and how they are not these places frozen in time but how the community continues to live and evolve in it. 
Due to the fields still being flooded for growing the rice, we weren’t able to begin fieldwork. Instead, Dr. Acabado gave a short lecture on the background of how he came to start the projects and the history on the theories about Philippines’ history and how they have evolved into what we use today. It was really interesting to be in the field and hearing about what I’ve been reading in preparation for the school. After that, we made the trek back to the Jeepney taking a more difficult path that resulted in two of the students falling into the field (no worries, they’re both fine)! 
Once we got back to HQ we learned the methods for placing units and mapping. In the front yard we were able to practice with our field teams. At first, I struggled with measuring the units correctly, but my team leader reassured me and said that I’d have the opportunity to further develop this skill in the field. I’m a little nervous about it, but I’m ready to rise to the challenge. While getting the hang of mapping was challenging, it turned out to be pretty fun. There was a treasure hunt activity in which we were given clues that gave coordinates to more clues. I can’t wait until we apply what we just learned tomorrow. 
Having been to the Philippines three times before, this experience has been very different to what I am used to. This time I have an archaeological purpose to answer research questions about Ifugao. In the past, I came to visit my family in Manila and the province Bulacan. I look forward to learning and contributing to the understanding of the rich history of the Ifugao rice terraces.

Nathan Downey
University of Chicago

In a now mildly famous commencement speech delivered by Jim Carrey, the man who brought us Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber remarked, “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance doing what you love.” 

With those words on my mind I enter 15 hours of total flight time, attempting to do what I love. I reflect on the distance I have covered and the journey that lies ahead. Months of eager anticipation have culminated in an uncontrollable bouncing of my left leg. After 3 planes, 1 Ocean, ~13 thousand kilometers, I am moments away from touching down in my mother’s home country: the Philippines, the motherland. A second generation Filipino-American; there are a couple of things that make me the farthest thing from the unwavering bastion of my mother’s cultural background. I have never set foot on Philippine soil (or even Asian soil for that matter), I cannot converse with my mother in Tagalog or her native Ilocano both of which I have been hearing since birth, and until very recently, I couldn’t even tell you the name town in which my mother grew up. At some point I will manage to rectify all three. However, I am not traveling to the Philippines simply in order to drum up some semblance of authenticity to counter the probing questions of the my mothers siblings in California. The islands beckon with the opportunity to employ an archaeological framework for the purpose of historical reconstruction and anthropological problem solving. I coming to the Philippines to learn first hand all I can about the indigenous people who maintain an integral position in defining the national identity. Any extremely moving revelations and insights pertaining to my own heritage comes as an eagerly welcomed bonus. 

The appeal of archaeology is inescapable. Whether they’re raiding tombs, toting whips, fighting undead mummies, or using magic talismans to defeat the forces of evil, various idols of archaeology exist as undeniably powerful attractants to the field of archaeology. I’m not saying I chose to pursue the field of archaeology just because Indy’s whip game is strong, but I’m also not going to say that wasn’t a contributing factor. All screen appeal aside the truth is I was captivated by the very premise of being able to physically reach back through the layers of history and find evidence about the behavior and decision making of peoples that came before us. The idea that we can reconstruct diets or develop accurate models of social organization of past populations awakens the same giddy, starry-eyed little kid in me who marveled at the archaeologist-adventurers of the TV screen. 
My decision to pursue archaeology came to fruition over a startlingly rapid period. 7 months ago, I was pursuing a bachelors degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago with the intention of going on to pursue a medical degree and eventually becoming a physician- a great and noble goal but I wasn’t completely in love with it. So 6 and half months ago I dropped premed requirements to accommodate the added workload of the Anthropology major and shifted my focus towards bioarchaeology. Since my self-coined mid-term crisis, I have been fortunate enough to have taken classes covering, bioarchaeology, paleodemography, paleopathology, human bone fragment identification, colonizations, ceramics analysis, faunal analysis, and bone fragment identification of major domesticated taxa. Additionally I was fortunate in that a good number of techniques I had learned in my first 4 quarters of primarily pursuing Biological sciences would be useful in an archaeological context: DNA analysis and sequencing, mass spectrometry, and C NMR analysis. Now I am headed to my first field school in the in the rice terraces of the Ifugao province. 

The clock ticks down towards the time to begin actually work, actual research. As with any foray into personally unexplored academic territory I find myself plagued with the usual concerns. Is my topic good enough? nuanced enough? Will there be adequate preservation of ancient DNA samples? Will my paper be good enough? Will I be able to publish something? But I remain excited. To me field school represents a new challenge and a new opportunity for growth. I have been given an amazing opportunity to conduct research in a field and setting that I love. Now I drift off into the land of jet lag induced comatosis, hoping to dream of well preserved human remains and well sharpened MarshallTown pointing trowels.