I'm going to miss fieldwork now that the school year has started, so here's a on why I think getting into the field is so important

I think my favorite thing about fieldwork is finding material culture and taking a moment to really think about the last person to hold it... visualizing them in that place, holding that exact item for the last time. It is like reaching across time to meet someone new

And part of that experience, for me, is being in that place with them. Walking across the landscape that they would have been so familiar with, even though it has no doubt changed since they last saw it

Obviously there are a lot of reasons people don't go into the field, but if you're a lab or museum archaeologist I HIGHLY recommend just visiting the place where those materials came from, if you can

Seeing the landscape where the materials you are working with came from can create such a deeper understanding of them and the people who made them.

The Land is always a part of the culture. Taking the time to get to know it can only help with building connections between you and the past.