Here we go again...

Hello again.

It is summer time again and for anthropologists that often means time to go back into the field. So, here we go again! I will be setting out for Guatemala and then El Salvador at the end of this week.

The plan for this summer is a bit different. If you are new to the site, welcome and feel free to start at the earliest posts from last year and work your way to the present to catch up or in the next few days I will post a summarized version of our past project and current goals. 

Those of you who followed my blog last summer will remember we had a large archaeological project underway.  This season we will not being doing the excavations we did last year, but instead will be following up on some of our last year's work on ancient and modern planting techniques. Having found ancient planting methods no longer in practice today, we decided to have local farmers plant manioc (a tuber crop) the 'old way'. This summer will be all about working with these farmers to understand how these techniques might differ and also to see the results of our test plantings.  We are also preparing to submit a proposal for additional archaeological research at Ceren for the summer of 2014, so I will be keeping you updated on that as well.

My summer journey will begin in Antigua, Guatemala where I will be attending an intensive Spanish immersion program.  Having worked in El Salvador since 2005 I am able to communicate in Spanish, particularly in the region where I work and with farmers, but I am still lacking in fluency and formal Spanish.  One of the 'hazards' of anthropological research is that you often pick up that language in the area you are in- slang, bad-habits and all. Also, in my case my Spanish vocabulary is very skewed towards archaeological terms!  Learning a language in the field can be extremely rewarding and useful, however, it is also necessary to continue gaining fluency in the formal language for press conferences, lectures, and meetings with officials.  One of the requirements for a Ph.D. in anthropology is often a degree of fluency in a language related to your research. Thus, this Spanish program will aid my research and help me meet one of the requirements of my PhD.

I will keep you updated in my progress and also share the experience (frustrations to be sure) of learning a new language. My hope is that many of you will have the opportunity to participate in a similar program and anthropological fieldwork in the future. This blog will help you understand what we do as anthropologists in the field and a little bit of what to expect when you set out on your own adventures.

Welcome back to my blog and I look forward to writing to you in the weeks to come.
Chris