Come on body, move, I think to myself as I roll over onto my back and stare up at the white tent that encases my little world. Out of the corner of my eye Thai archaeologists and workers climb the wooden ladder out of our 4.5m deep pit. It is the final days of excavating, and saying that I am tired would be an understatement. I have calluses on my hands, bruises on my legs, dirt up my nose and I am loving every minute of it.
This is my third field season at Non Ban Jak, a late Iron Age site in Northeast Thailand. My role is to sample and study the 1700-year-old ceramics from the site. In short, I shoot pots with x-ray beams. Archaeology has come a long way since Indiana Jones, though we still dress the same, it’s an aesthetic.
It has been a productive season and some amazing artefacts have come out of the site. Within a kiln, a small circular clay tablet was found; impressed on the tablet’s surface was a crouching lion with closed eyes. The lion is an early representation of Buddha and an indication of the type of religion practiced onsite. Whoever designed the image had given the lion chubby cheeks and a sleeping smile, by far my favourite artefact this season.
In Thai, a voice calls from the top of the pit, asking if I am coming up for lunch. I respond in my best Thai and hear several people laugh. I cringe a little. My workmate next to me smirks and tells me that my Thai is getting better. I sit up and continue to help her excavate a large pot.
The vessel is black and globular with small rows of impressed circles running along the neck. Soft dirt covers its surface, which we carefully clear away with our trowels, brushes and cloth. After we finish we climb the ladder, leaving the pit for lunch. I look back and see the vessel ready to be recorded and photographed in context, its exterior shining an impressive black.
I take in the current surface of the site. The large vessel sits near the northern wall of the excavation. Scattering the site are the remnants of walled areas, possibly burial chambers or residential spaces. Burials lie adjacent to these walls; mortuary goods of bronze jewellery, small black bowls and glass beads show variation in the wealth of the individuals.
As archaeologists, we do our best to construct a picture of the unknown past through excavation, research and collaboration with the local community. It is a privilege to undertake this work and I love it. My tummy grumbles and I make my way to the lunch table. I dodge the rolling boulder, the blow darts, and pull my whip from my hip to swing from a branch. I wonder what is inside the vessel we were excavating... I guess I will find out after lunch.