Wondering and Wandering with Artifact and Site

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Discoveries Continue and Observation Training Underway

Two discoveries related to my work in England last summer were made in the last couple of weeks. If only I had been there to share in the excitement!

The first, a small find, was made at Arbeia, the Roman supply fort I dug at with Earthwatch this summer. Volunteers from a local law firm, participating in a community service-type day out, uncovered a woman’s hairpin made of animal bone. This was of particular interest to me having worked on the women’s finds research project on our rainy days.

The second discovery, a much larger one, took place just outside of St Albans, where I spent time at the wonderful Virulamium Museum. A “nationally significant” hoard of gold Roman coins was found with a metal detector in a field outside of St Albans. I am very excited for the wonderful staff at the Virulamium that the coins will be on display there.

Back in my classroom, we are busy nurturing our scientific inquiry skills. Each week we hold a “See, Think, and Wonder” session, doing our best to make our thinking visible. We observe objects, both familiar and unfamiliar, and, after silent observation time as a group, we share attributes of the object we see, thinking statements about what we are fairly certain of, and lastly our wonderings. Sometimes our wonderings lead to scientific inquiry in our classroom Science Center. Others, when necessary, lead us to the published research of others. I’m looking forward to introducing the artifacts related to my work this summer once we have the routines down. I hope you’ll stay tuned.

We started with the familiar, an apple,...

...and then moved to the unfamiliar, a mystery box.

This is a tool we use in our Science Center,

isolating our sense of touch.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Headed for Home

Time to go home. It was a drizzly morning, one of very few during our stay, despite a very rainy summer for England. Was that a sign of some sort? Packing went surprisingly well, thanks to Jennie, the packing goddess. She is a pro at the "roll everything" technique. Thanks to her guidance, everything fit! Much more room than when I folded everything. We learned our lesson the first time, and wisely called a cab to the station. There was no way we were going to drag our bags that distance again, Mr. Cab Driver! This driver was only too happy to take us. He even made us an offer to drive us all the way to Heathrow, but for an absurd price. The leisurely bus ride was fine with us.

Our faithful companions. If only these bags could talk. (It's probably better they can't!) They've seen three different airports, fourteen trains, and twelve train stations, five subways, two buses, the trunks of a seven cabs, and too many sidewalks to count. They were pulled, pushed, carried, kicked, rained on, and sat on. It was joyous moment when we checked them in at security. FREEDOM! While Jennie's arms seem to have fared well, I on the other hand will be seeing an elbow specialist soon, and I think a cortisone shot is in my right elbow's future. Her bag's 3-sided handle (on the left) provided a few more options for mobility, while mine (right) could only be pulled one way. Word of advice: If you are in the market for a new suitcase, seriously consider one with this type of handle!

Terminal 5 is massive and looks like a shopping mall -- complete with Harrods, for those last minute gifts. The airport was absolutely mobbed. With it only being day four of the Olympics, I would have thought the arrivals terminal would have had all the business. Not so! Heathrow is an amazing place, though. People passing through en route to so many interesting places all over the world. It was fun to sit back, watch the microcosm of our amazing world passing by, and wonder where they were traveling to and why. Everyone has a story. I lost track of how many times I told mine during the last five incredible weeks. Sometimes I couldn't believe it was my story I was telling, and not someone else's fantasy trip. Hearing myself say "I'm a school teacher and I came to work on an archaeological dig at a Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall" never ceased to amaze me.

This is right up at the top of my "most bizarre sights" list. While many travelers now wear sandles and flip flops understandably to speed up their security check, you really should put them back on. This sent shivers up my spine!

The time to go was getting closer, and reality was sinking in. But the world's party was just getting started!

Many travelers watched gymnastics on one of the many projection screens throughout the airport.

Home. Time to return to routines, responsibilities, reality, and most importantly, loved ones. We landed around 9:30 PM, and 12 hours later I would deliver my husband to the hospital for hip surgery #2. I remained there with him for three days. Unpacking, distributing gifts, doing laundry, and processing my experiences would have to wait for just a bit. Even jet lag would have to wait.

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Friday, August 31, 2012

Last Day in London, Part II

Note: Thanks for staying tuned. The last post survived and thankfully didn't cause a technological meltdown! Blogging, and doing it from an iPad app, is an extra skills set I've developed during this whole adventure that I never imagined I'd have. That said, I have no intentions of quitting my day job and joining the growing ranks of those adding daily to the overcrowded blogosphere!

Now back to the final sights of London.

On our way to Hyde Park, which had been transformed into London Live, a venue for Olympic concerts, athlete appearances, and a fun place to watch events on massive projection screens, we saw more folks from around the world who had come to join the party, this time...

the Aussies, and...

...the Dutch.

At this point, it was close to 3:00pm and we hadn't even had lunch yet. After a day trolling the city, we were famished! We needed our strength, though, because one final, crucial task still lay ahead of us -- purchasing gifts for our husbands! At this hour of the day in England, when the going gets tough, the tough...

...go have Afternoon Tea! This tea was shared, by the way. The photo makes it appear that Jennie consumed this lovely tray of finger sandwiches, scones, and tarts by herself. While she might have wanted to at this point in the day (especially the clotted cream!), I assure you she did not!

The good news about the all-important husband gift buying was that we knew exactly what we wanted to get. Jennie's husband, Chris, is a very talented musician. By day he's a graphic designer, but by night, he's a guitar/keyboard player and singer who needs a cool "gig shirt" or two. Many thanks to our good friends Matthew and Alex who recommended the iconic Selfridges as a good place to look. A delightful young salesman took very good care of us and Chris is now sporting two very cool gig shirts. (Any Ab Fab fans out there? If so, Eddy and Patsy would have been pleased with our shopping efforts!)

While our husbands are friends, they have very different interests and tastes. Scott (a.k.a. Francis) likes a nice floral tie. Yes, he's in touch with his feminine side and has a thing for ties from another wonderful British shopping institution, Liberty.

If you see a man on the BC campus (sadly on crutches from hip surgery #2) wearing one of these ties, please say hello!

We arrived in time to see St George appear and valiantly slay the evil dragon on the recently restored Liberty clock tower, which he thankfully does every quarter hour.

We did it! All missions accomplished! And with that, we waited out the 5:00 PM rush in the cozy Victorian Clachlan pub next door, which interestingly enough used to be owned by Liberty. When things died down a bit, we hopped on the Underground at Oxford Circus (many thanks to the young attendant who helped us decipher the tube zones in order to know which ticket to purchase and which platform to go to!), and we made it back to St Pancras in time to miraculously catch a rare express train to St Albans. For whatever reason, there was some good Karma flowing at that moment! One last, delicious meal at the Mediterranean Grill and home to catch some Olympic action and to pack! We are headed home!

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Last Day in London, Part 1

I began dreaming and planning this trip almost two years ago, so how is it already the last full day? So much left to do, including some sight seeing and gift buying. Could we do it all? Fasten your seat belts!

A Games volunteer, dressed in her uniform from head to toe (sneakers and shoelaces, too!), waited for the train along with us.

I was feeling much more confident about venturing into the city after our positive experience on Saturday. It was now the 3rd full day of the Olympics, so surely any kinks related to transportation were worked out at this point. To play it safe, we took the train from St Albans to Blackfriars, skipped the Underground, and had a chilly, but spectacular walk along the Victoria Embankment towards Westminster. It was pretty quiet and we didn't encounter many people.

The Royal Family, circa 1977, turned up to greet us! This photo, taken in 1977 during the Queen's Silver Jubilee, is the largest photo ever of the Royal Family. It was hung for the Diamond Jubilee Flotilla on June 3rd.

Everything received a bit of "spit and polish" for 2012, a very busy year, indeed.

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral peering over the rooftops.

I love this vantage point of new and old -- the London Eye (you couldn't pay me to ride on it!), Lambeth Palace peering through the Eye's spokes, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey.

The latest addition to London's skyline, and Europe's tallest completed building -- The Shard. The skyscraper, designed by architect Renzo Piano, opened on July 5th.

Qatar House, home to Qatar's 2012 Olympic Committee

The Olympic rings began their barge journey on the Thames on February 28, marking 150 days until the opening ceremony. They are staying put right here for a few weeks.

Cleopatra's Needle, despite it's name, has no real connection to the Egyptian queen. It was given to the UK in 1819 by Egypt to commemorate British victories at the Battle of The Nile and the Battle of Alexandria.

30 St Mary Axe, better known as "The Gherkin," another of modern London's more recent landmarks.

A nice, clear shot of the Eye.

The Battle of Britain Monument, dedicated in 2005.

As soon as we began to approach Westminster Bridge, we could see more people and hear more commotion. Suddenly, drums were beating, and down the street came a group of Brazilians cheering, singing, playing instruments, and waving sports equipment and their flag. It was at this moment that I felt the vibe of the city begin to change from the calm and regal London, who was in her Sunday best, to the alive and vibrant city who was ready to party with the world!

Big Ben and bright blue sky.

One of a series of Olympic-themed sculpture placed around the city. This one, dedicated to British rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones, was just outside Westminster Abbey.

There was a huge crowd waiting to get into the Abbey. It was well worth waiting in line, but once inside, we could not take photos.

Casa Italia, the Italian Olympic Committee's headquarters, just across the street. We passed on going inside to see the Italian models and FIATs.

Nelson Mandela, unveiled in 2007 in Mr. Mandela's presence, greeted visitors from around the world in Parliament Square.

As did Winston Churchill!

The park in the square was a gathering place for visitors from all over the world. I felt like bursting out into a rousing chorus of "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!"

Two young English women were laughing and running back and forth taking pictures of one another with their Union Jack. I offered to take one of them with it and asked in return they take one of us! They thought it was hilarious we'd want our picture taken with their flag. I wish we'd had an American flag with us!

These poor athletes from Uzbekistan were very lost, but a helpful Games volunteer was attempting to help them. I hope they made it back for their event!