By Joker

When he gets up this early, I know something is up. Hmm …he’s made coffee and a sandwich, and he’s got the backback and the tool bag where he keeps that shiny digging tool. Yes! We’re going to Mushroom Springs! He goes out there with other people, and they dig the most amazing holes. Now, I’m a good hole digger, but the holes these guys dig are big. From what I can figure out, this Mushroom Springs is the location of an ancient campsite on Antelope Island where dogs and their humans stayed some 1,000 years ago. That’s like 7,000 dog years!

My name is Joker. My human, Ron, is what they call an archaeologist. Evidently, archaeologists study things left behind by other humans from a long, long time ago. They do this by digging holes—so cool—and they find little things the humans left behind. They call these little bits of stuff names like “tools” or “projectile points” or “pottery,” which I think is just a fancy name for a water dish.

Sometimes the archaeologists find animal bones. They try to keep that a secret from me, but I know. I know.

I’ll just hop in the truck so he won’t forget me. Sometimes when he goes places he forgets me, but that is understandable. His breed is not that smart. Once he forgot to put the hamburgers away. Once he forgot to put a pumpkin pie away. Good thing I was around to prevent those things from going to waste!

Ah, Mushroom Springs…I can’t wait. We’ll smell bison and coyotes, and there will be new places to mark. And the other archaeologists always have good treats. What is he doing? Come on! You can read the paper tonight!

Hey, why can’t the dig site be closer? Why does it take so long to get there? Why do we have to stop and buy ice? Why do I have to ride in the back seat? Hey, why are we stopping here? Who is that? Let’s get going! Okay, I’ll just sleep for a while.

Oh, what a smell! We’re close to Antelope Island! I hate those seagulls. I would like to catch one and tear it to shreds. I could catch one, you know. I just choose not to.

Okay, the dirt road. This is a good sign. We’ll be stopping soon. Yep, there’s Jim and Kevin and those kids who are helping. They all dig holes. What great jobs they have. 

Open the door! Come on. Finally! Okay, I’ve got work to do. As the only trained security expert on this “dig,” I’ve got the most responsibility. Check the perimeter. Do it fast. What is this?  Coyote smell? Yep, better pee. Hmm—fresh bison…better pee. Everything seems in order. Looks and smells like the horses were here yesterday. Okay, I’ll check the pits. Yep, all looks good…better pee. The porta-potty smells good…all is safe.

Now, being a security expert and an expert at digging holes, I’m not sure I agree with how these archaeologists dig. They are so slow. Being humans, these archaeologists don’t have paws and claws to dig with, so they use a shovel or a trowel. Most of the time on this dig they use trowels.

They scrape the dirt away just a little at a time and put the dirt into bucket.

Then, when the bucket is full, they pass the dirt through this contraption they call a screen or sifter.

That is where they find those little bits of stone and bone and pottery they get so excited about.

What’s this? A truck heading down the road. I don’t like the looks of this. “You archaeologists stay put; I’ll check this out.” They are scared of every little truck. Oh, it’s just the park ranger. “All clear. Back to digging.” Being in charge of security at an archaeological dig is a full-time, very demanding job. That shade is looking good. Time for a nap.

 

Well, I see Abby and Ricky are screening. I better go check them out. Abby has worked on this site for a couple of seasons. Ricky is new…. not sure I trust him yet…. let me sniff his shoes. Smells like he’s got a cat at home. Aw, he’s probably okay. Abby is telling Ricky about the pottery. She says it is called Salt Lake gray-ware and it was made by people the archaeologists call the “Fremont.”

Now best I can figure, these Fremont and their dogs lived all over what is now Utah and even a bit into Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado. They were hunters and gatherers and farmers, and they lived in big villages and in small villages too. The Fremont lived about the same time as the Anasazi folks who lived in the Four Corners area.

I’ve been on lots of these archaeological digs with my human. You might say I’m sort of an expert on archaeology. For example, did you know that humans and their dogs have lived in North America for at least 11,000 human years?

What’s going on? Why are they all gathering around my human? I better go check this out. Hmm…well, it seems that a kid named Austin has found something called a biface. Ron is telling him that a biface is a stone tool that was “worked” on both sides to form a sharp knife edge. O.K. I get it! This stone knife was used by the Fremont to cut stuff, just like people use steel now. During Fremont times, there weren’t any metal or steel tools. All of the tools were made of stone or bone. (Mmmm…. bone!)

Now what? Well Kevin and Austin are doing something the archaeologists call “mapping.” They are measuring the location of the biface and marking it on the site map. These guys record everything on maps and they take pictures of all the stuff they find.

These archaeologists write down everything. They have big notebooks full of the records about the dig site. Seems to me they do more writing than digging.

Come on. Say it. Come on. You can do it. Let’s hear it. Lunch!

It’s about time! This, my friends, is my favorite time of the day. My human often tells me not to beg, but hey, it works, and I usually get lots of treats. Ham sandwich? Cookies? Beef jerky? I love lunch.

Well, lunch was good.  I think the archaeologists have this Mushroom Springs dig under control. I think the best thing for me to do will be to take a nice long nap under the truck and rest up for another day of digging and security tomorrow.

 Joker‘s human, Ron Rood, is Utah’s assistant state archaeologist and a fine digger in his own right.

Thanks, Marnai Stanley, Braeden Flint, Jason Hansen, Nicole Eiting (all from Muir Elementary), and Maren Jeppson for the illustrations! Thanks too to teacher Maria Ellis!

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