The full complement at Cimarrón once I'd arrived was twenty-seven -- ten senior (professional) members, eight students and nine volunteers. We newcomers spent the rest of the day acquainting ourselves with our colleagues and familiarizing ourselves with the facilities and techniques. (Each site has its unique features, according to the history, the environment and the people on the job.) We started working the following morning, but on that first day we took part in the afternoon conference and joined everyone for dinner at the hostel. The camaraderie was the same as at all the digs where I've worked.
As on every site, although it's not a case of all work and no play, people are usually too tired at the end of the day for much socializing. But letting off steam on weekends is important for morale; for regardless of how dedicated you are, everyone needs some downtime. My previous archaeological projects were in remote areas. There were few opportunities for rest and recreation beyond the camp. Palmira offers plenty, in the towns, in the countryside and in the surrounding waters.
We did have some good times in the Barracks, albeit under the sullen surveillance of the sergeant-major. While we don't get to choose our companions, given that our interests are similar all the people working on a site will be basically compatible. Each weeknight after dinner we gathered on the terrace, a covered recreational area with a bar and barbeque, or in the theatrette. Nudity was generally a non-issue, partly because we the unclad heavily outnumbered the men, but mainly because you cannot afford to fixate on it, otherwise you will end up in a state of permanent arousal -- both sexes.
Inevitably in the group there will be some hooking up, particularly among the younger members; and the rule is that whatever you do off-site stays off-site. Most interactions are casual; intimate relationships tend to be short-lived. For those without partners on the scene there are usually spouses, fiancés, boyfriends, girlfriends back home. In any case, the priority is to maintain a professional environment (and there are ethical considerations as well). Furthermore, a typical "season" lasts just six to eight weeks, and even during that period people are coming and going.
My roommate was Alice, the first aid and hygiene officer. She's a winsome, amber-eyed brunette aged in her early thirties who left behind a career in medicine to pursue her passion. She has been on several sites in the Americas (she's from Chicago), and this is her second season on Palmira. Like most of us she claims that the island's archaeological heritage is the main attraction, but she clearly revels in her nudity. She isn't flashy or flirty, but she takes pride not just in her body but in the fact that she's naked. In other words she takes pride in her womanhood; and in that respect we're similar. Unfortunately, we did not have much time together. She spends only the dig sessions on the island, and donates her services on weekends to the Palmira Hospital. And while that's laudable, my personal belief is that when you work as hard as we do during the week, you really need to let loose and live it up when you can.
Because we were the latecomers who arrived together, and they were assigned to my team, I bonded best with Rachel, Lucy and Sean. (Jack and Lorraine mostly kept to themselves in the off-hours.) I became a sort of godmother to them. Sean acted immature at times, and liked to pull juvenile pranks; but his enthusiasm was infectious and his work ethic commendable. He was adopted as a little brother by Rachel, whose irreverent high spirits matched his, and by Lucy, whose calm demeanour counteracted their at times unruly
joie de vivre
. At the same time, when we went to Régate for the weekend he fancied himself as our guardian, and we allowed him to bask in the glow of his gallantry, even Rachel. Of course, our surrogate roles were somewhat compromised by the way he looked so blatantly at our bodies. He enjoyed hanging out with older women -- such as yours truly. He
really
enjoyed hanging out with naked women; and he was one of the males most candid about it, disarmingly guileless in his fondness for the undraped female form.
We all got on well with the hostel staff. Being guest workers, they shared our experiences. Mostly students taking a gap year, they are well-educated, good-humored and broadminded. They don't appear to chafe under the thumb of the sergeant-major, possibly because they don't have the luxury of nursing grievances. Still, they have their methods of rebellion. At the beginning of the day shift, he makes them line up for inspection. They stand rigidly at attention, thrusting out their chests, sucking in their bellies, extending their hips to the fore, and I have rarely beheld a more provocatively titillating sight. He beams in clueless approbation of their soldierly discipline.
***
Naturally, most of one's life is focused on the dig. The day at Cimarrón starts at sunrise when Mike and Sue check the weather forecast. If it's good news, everyone has an early breakfast, eager to get onto the site. The day's briefing begins at half past seven, the spadework at eight o'clock.
My role during my inaugural season on Palmira was to oversee excavation of one of the trenches, recording and bagging all sorts of stuff -- human remains (biological materials and artifacts) being the most dramatic, but also seeds, shells and non-human bones (mammals, birds, fish) -- and taking soil samples. When digging stops in the early afternoon, the analysis phase begins. My tasks included writing up a diary, comparing results with my colleagues to prepare a detailed grid map, and consulting with the conservator, whose job is the preservation of finds.
My crew consisted initially of my fellow newcomers. Jack and Lorraine, who had put in almost as many fieldwork hours as I, and had worked on more sites, served as my trusted deputies. We were given a basic first assignment, digging test pits looking for signs of burials and other objects of interest. In this you have to be cautious, and you record everything meticulously, because any interference with fragile remains can damage them. But we proved ourselves a crack squad and were soon assigned to a trench where we uncovered a grave with some fascinating ceramic and carved bone ceremonial items. We also had a role in unearthing an even more significant burial, containing one body and two skulls. This is the best evidence yet found of ancestor worship in ancient Palmirene culture.
Working stark naked under the tropical sun is not a major problem so long as you have UV protection. But when you're down in the dirt in a meter-deep trench, the mud and grit get into your crevices. So at the end of your shift it's a major operation to wash the grime off (and out of) you.
Behind the dig hut are toilet cubicles, and to indicate that they're unisex, on the door of each are the standard graphic symbols for man and woman; but in this setting the stylized figure in a dress seems comically incongruous. And next to the lavatories is a shower and changing room... for the men. Since the women don't need to change into or out of anything, until recently the females' amenity was a row of shower heads out in the open. The thinking was that there's no point investing resources in private facilities for those who don't get that sort of privacy. But the spectacle of us lathering, scrubbing and sponging our bodies under the public gaze is not exactly conducive to dignity, so a partition has been erected. Of course, not having to worry about damp clothes means we don't need to bother drying ourselves. The warm breeze does that.
There are other advantages to being the bare-skinned sex. One of my favorite humdrum tasks is wet screening -- sieving soil and other sediments in sea water to look for small objects. It's mostly mindless repetition so you sing and chat and joke; but occasionally some tiny object will catch the eye and another little bit will be added to the overall picture of the site. For this, there are two instruments. The large frame is a heavy scaffold and a hose is used. The small frame version is hand-held, and the screening is a two-person job. It's done by both men and women, standing in the water that reaches up to waist-deep when the waves come in; and being female means you don't have to bother stripping down to a swimsuit.
Before the team gets started each day, Sue does a health and safety inspection. Because almost all the work is small-scale and thus done by hand -- with minimal mechanical aid, using picks and shovels, buckets and spades, trowels and brushes -- this is a routine procedure. Boots, gloves and headgear are mandatory, sunglasses and bandanas are recommended. Knee-pads are helpful, but a kneeling mat is better. High-factor sunblock and insect repellent are vital for both sexes, although obviously we ladies need more.
The men can choose clothing that is cool, lightweight, comfortable and sweat-proof. (And they have pockets!) They can avoid the sun with long sleeves and trousers, but even in shorts and short-sleeved shirts they have a lot less skin to protect than we gals do. However, the sun does not present a major problem. We dig in the trenches for only a few hours each day because of the follow-up to be done; and we normally do so under tarpaulin covers. These are not just for shade but to shelter the trench and its contents from rain. In fact digging has to cease when it's raining, because while typically of short duration Palmira's downpours can be very intense. Even with the tarps in place water fills the trenches, so work stops for the day. At such times, there are lots of other chores to keep us busy.
If special protective clothing is needed, for example with some of the more vigorous excavation, Sue must make a decision. Giving these jobs to the males exclusively would be unfair to both sexes; and no-one tries to take advantage of her nudity to get out of the hard work; but a woman must wear the absolute minimum of gear necessary, and must take it off as soon as the task is done. (In fact, I have never had the need to wear anything because my forte is hand-tool excavation.) It is one of Sue's responsibilities to file the appropriate paperwork to make any exemptions official. This is important because there is something to always keep in mind about the nude law. It's a
