James Smith says that he first became interested in archaeology while watching Indiana Jones.

“Archaeology is interesting to me because it’s a combination of manual labor and using your intelligence,” Smith said. “Also, I’ve always been interested in history, particularly ancient history.”

Currently a senior, Smith majors in History, Archaeology and Philosophy.  This will be his third summer working for Powers and Teremy, an archaeological contracting company.

Whenever a building contractor wants to build on public land or uses federal funds, they are required to hire a contract archaeologist.  These archaeologists will confirm that the building will not disturb any historic sites.

Smith describes this field as more of a business than an academic area.  He refers to a position in this line of work as “the low man on the totem pole,” in relation to academic archaeology. 

The senior’s summer workdays start at 7 a.m, when his company will drive to the jobsite.  Smith has worked at many locations in the area, from Dansville to Fort Drum. 

His colleagues and he work on a grid, digging holes and pacing 60 feet to dig more holes, then doing the same horizontally. 

The workers will usually dig down approximately two feet, and further if an object is found.  The digging will usually stop at what is known as “sterile soil.”  This layer of soil dates back to a time before humans were in the area.  In Upstate New York, this is usually a layer of sand. 

If an artifact is found, it will be washed, bagged and labeled.  After filling the hole back in, a worker will write a report detailing the location that the artifact was found.  The report will be sent to the state, where officials will determine the fate of the artifact.

If an important or intriguing relic is found, the state will declare the site protected and construction will have to stop for more excavation.

The most common objects found, according to Smith, are lithics or stone tools.  He says that it takes skill to be able to recognize the difference between a broken stone and a stone that has been worked.

Sometimes nothing will be found for weeks at a time.    

“It has its good moments and its bad moments,” Smith said. “The terrain isn’t usually pleasant. I never know from day to day whether I’ll be digging in a field, on the side of the road, in the woods or even in a swamp. The swamps are definitely the worst.”

Last summer, Smith worked on a job in Fort Drum that was contracted by Colorado State University and paid for by the U.S. Army.  He stayed for the summer in his family’s cottage in Watertown. 

This was a specialized job with a guaranteed contract, which meant that Smith was promised work for the whole summer.  At a company such as Powers and Teremy, though, work is not guaranteed and depends on the contracts that the business wins through bidding wars with other companies.

Smith is also currently employed as a research assistant for the anthropology department at Fisher.  He helps Dr. Bill Duncan with the professor’s ongoing research in the field of bioarchaeology (the study of bones) of Mesopotamia. 

This position provides the senior with experience as a research assistant, which will help his chances of receiving an assistanceship in graduate school.

  In the future, Smith hopes to become an academic archaeologist.  He will most likely have to obtain either a position as a college professor or a position in a museum.  He will then conduct his research on the side.  Ideally, his love of ancient history and archaeology would take him to the Mediterranean, including Greece and Rome.