A Trip to Niles

Leah, Tabitha, and I were sitting in the lab, doing our usual work, when Alex informed us that he needed a couple of us to do a presentation.

 I look at Leah and Tabitha, then back to Alex and ask “what is it for?”

“Support the Fort would like to know what happened this season. It’s next Tuesday.”

Thinking it over, I agree to do this presentation with Leah.  Now just have to figure out the most amazing PowerPoint I could create.

The waves were giant!

Tuesday fast approached and Hurricane Sandy has been pounding the east coast. Due to the size of Sandy, Lake Michigan was having massive waves! A must see! Leah and I left a couple hours early to stop by the beach at Lake Michigan in St. Joseph.

Lines of cars backed up the beach’s shore, everyone trying to get a glance at the large waves crashing against the beach. Leah is trying to maneuver the car into a prime spot to get pictures on my camera. The high winds were screaming past my window, while I’m hoping to God that I don’t drop my phone out the window! After capturing a couple pictures, Leah follows the long line to make our way to the Niles Senior Center.

At the Niles Senior Center, my PowerPoint was set up, except we had a missing cord! The cord that would attach the projector to my computer was nowhere to be found. Fifteen minutes and multiple cookies [thanks Mary Ellen!] later, Support the Fort members gathered around my computer screen and the presentation commences. Leah and I discussed:

• The field season: our focus on finding the size of the houses, the special artifacts we found, more about the Lyne site, uncovering past excavated fireplaces
• The open house: the re-enactors, having 1800 visitors, having exposed the pits to show the public
• What we personally learned: being an archaeologist, working with different people, importance of public outreach
• Lab: Pastperfect, inventory, labeling artifacts, fine sort, our visit to Michigan Archaeology Day
• Our personal experience

Heading home, bags of cookies in hand, Leah and I discuss how great of an experience it was presenting to a great group of people; people who do so much for us. Public outreach is a great thing and full of a variety of rewards (including cookies sometimes).
    -Cassie Mohney