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Hi there, I'm in Medford doing something kind of different today. I'm tagging along with a group of volunteer archaeologists and K9 handlers while they recover cremated remains ("cremains") from homes burned in this summer's forest fires
To be clear, these aren't people who perished in the fires, but the cremated remains of relatives in urns left behind
The job: sift through a bunch of ashes to find a very specific kind of ashes
As one of the homeowners commented: "it's like finding a needle in a needlestack"
The job: sift through a bunch of ashes to find a very specific kind of ashes
As one of the homeowners commented: "it's like finding a needle in a needlestack"
How the hell does this work, you ask?
First, the team inspects the site and marks possible hazards: places that could collapse, etc
Then they ask the family where in the house the cremains were. This doesn't always help: between the fire and the wind it could be anywhere
First, the team inspects the site and marks possible hazards: places that could collapse, etc
Then they ask the family where in the house the cremains were. This doesn't always help: between the fire and the wind it could be anywhere
After that, they release the hounds, by which I mean labradors and mixed breed dogs trained to sniff out human remains
Here's Jasper: an excellent boy
Here's Jasper: an excellent boy
Today they have 5 dogs. The team releases them one by one and sees where they alert. At the first house, all the dogs alerted in roughly the same place
Now it's the archaeologists' turn to narrow things down. The dogs aren't precise, and the ashes could be scattered widely
Now it's the archaeologists' turn to narrow things down. The dogs aren't precise, and the ashes could be scattered widely
I stood there watching the archaeologists sort through what to me looks like a mass of undifferentiated ashes
"Here's gypsum. This was the bathroom. This looks like a computer. So this would be the room with the boxes, correct?"
But how?!
"Here's gypsum. This was the bathroom. This looks like a computer. So this would be the room with the boxes, correct?"
But how?!
This team has done over 300 recoveries in the past few years, and they know what they're looking for. When they think they've found the cremains, the k9 handlers collect a small sample and take it to a different location. Then they see if the dogs alert to it
Once the dogs confirm, the cremains are carefully separated out, placed in a plastic bag, and returned to the family
I'm not very sentimental about bodies. But for some people it's deeply important. Families often break down in tears when they recover their loved ones
I'm not very sentimental about bodies. But for some people it's deeply important. Families often break down in tears when they recover their loved ones
Two of the archaeologists told me how rewarding this work is to them. Since they usually work with ancient remains, they don't really get to help people in such a direct fashion
It's a good thing, too, because this is all on a volunteer basis
It's a good thing, too, because this is all on a volunteer basis
And it's not just that they aren't getting paid. Some of these volunteers drove from the Bay Area to be here this weekend
If there are funds for gas and hotels, they get compensated. Usually there aren't funds. They PAY to do this work
If there are funds for gas and hotels, they get compensated. Usually there aren't funds. They PAY to do this work
As climate change continues to ravage the planet, this kind of work is only going to become more important. "Disaster Archaeology" is a very new field, maybe 3 years old, and if that isn't dystopian as fuck I don't know what is
I feel so lucky to get to be here today. We have two more sites to go to and then I'll be driving home
If you want to learn more, or feel like donating to this awesome group, you can do that here: https://altahf.org/
If you want to learn more, or feel like donating to this awesome group, you can do that here: https://altahf.org/
(here's the exact donation page) https://altahf.org/make-a-donation
We just got done at the second site
The first site was a mobile home. Jaramy had just bought it in July. He'd moved up here after the Camp Fire destroyed his home in Paradise, California
That's right. 2 houses, destroyed by fire, in 2 years
The first site was a mobile home. Jaramy had just bought it in July. He'd moved up here after the Camp Fire destroyed his home in Paradise, California
That's right. 2 houses, destroyed by fire, in 2 years
The team recovered the ashes of Jaramy's grandfather, a Navy vet. One of the archaeologists has a son in the Navy and offered to help bury him at sea if that seemed like a good choice
I really didn't think it could get much worse than losing a brand new house in a fire, but the second site proved me wrong. Kristy and her family bought their house in 2012; a real fixer-upper
She tore up and replaced floors. Salvaged and refinished furniture. Made it her own
She tore up and replaced floors. Salvaged and refinished furniture. Made it her own
Kristy is an artist. All her supplies, all her artwork, everything gone. I had never really thought about the absolute devastation of losing everything. Irreplaceable things. Baby pictures, a lifetime of memories
The archaeologists looked for Kristy's father, who passed from cancer in 2014. When they found them, a small hand-blown glass jar sat inches away.
When Kristy saw the glass, she started to cry. Her dad had taken up glass-blowing in retirement. It had been a gift to her from him
When Kristy saw the glass, she started to cry. Her dad had taken up glass-blowing in retirement. It had been a gift to her from him
"Archaeology isn't about the stuff, it's about the people," Chelsea, one of the archaeologists, says. "So this isn't much of a leap from what we already do"
She tells me that being able to salvage something from the wreckage of a life can help restore a victim's sense of control
She tells me that being able to salvage something from the wreckage of a life can help restore a victim's sense of control
I'm on my way to the third site now. One more story coming your way once it's done
Update: someone asked about what kind of dog Jasper is and I have just confirmed that he is a purebred border collie, despite looking a bit cattle-doggish
He also blends in perfectly with ashes, so you could say he was born for the work
He also blends in perfectly with ashes, so you could say he was born for the work
When Jasper isn't sniffing for cremains in burned down houses, he does it to find indigenous burial grounds so that the sites can be preserved
He is a Very Good Boy
He is a Very Good Boy
The third site is another mobile home. The family--a man, woman, and child--are somewhat taciturn and efficient with their language. They're looking for her father's ashes. They know exactly where they were
They do not want to stick around
Grief takes many forms
They do not want to stick around
Grief takes many forms
Careful sifting
The archaeologists are here to find cremains, but they keep their when out for other things
This is a small pile of knick-knacks, probably from a jewelry box
They'll tell the family it's there but won't push the issue. "For some of them, it's too painful"
This is a small pile of knick-knacks, probably from a jewelry box
They'll tell the family it's there but won't push the issue. "For some of them, it's too painful"
This site is proving difficult. The archaeologists think they've found the cremains, but they're really mixed in with the rubble
Piper, a black and white border collie, thinks they've found them too. She "alerts" (sits) right on the sample
Piper, a black and white border collie, thinks they've found them too. She "alerts" (sits) right on the sample
Echo agrees!
It takes the dogs about 5 minutes to decide whether or not to alert. That's because the "scent pool" immediately starts spreading from the sample. The dogs are trained to alert where the scent is most concentrated, so they have to sniff everywhere to be sure
It takes the dogs about 5 minutes to decide whether or not to alert. That's because the "scent pool" immediately starts spreading from the sample. The dogs are trained to alert where the scent is most concentrated, so they have to sniff everywhere to be sure
The mother and child return. "Is this really my dad?" the mother asks
The archaeology team explains that the dogs agree. The kid hugs her mom tight
The archaeology team explains that the dogs agree. The kid hugs her mom tight
I'm heading out! Got a long drive home ahead of me
Thank you Alta Heritage Foundation for letting me see all the good you do
I already posted the donation link upthread, but here it is again. Your money helps out with hotels, gas, dog treats, etc https://altahf.org/make-a-donation
Thank you Alta Heritage Foundation for letting me see all the good you do
I already posted the donation link upthread, but here it is again. Your money helps out with hotels, gas, dog treats, etc https://altahf.org/make-a-donation
