Half-Way Point

Kristine Merriman writes:

So this morning marked the half-way point for all of us staying here for seven weeks.  The last three and a half weeks have seemed to fly past.  As a brand new batch of volunteers has recently joined us, we are still getting used to each other a bit- but that hasn’t stopped the fun!  I am having so much fun processing the artifacts from area K.  I love seeing the fun stuff (beads, amulets, scarabs, and mostly intact vessels) and even the growing pile of basalt grinding stones that never seem to be in short supply.  It never ceases to amaze me that people used each of these objects everyday in the past and now, thousands of years later, I get to see them uncovered and hold them in my hand.  Thinking about the life of an artifact is so interesting for me.  From its creation, through its use (or several uses), to be buried, found, and processed…it is truly an amazing journey.  If only stones could talk, we would know so much more.  Nevertheless, what they can tell us is truly unique.   I am having so much fun here.  It is incredible what we are learning and what we may and will learn in the second half of my stay here.  But for now, its off to bed… 4:30 am is still very early and something I may never get completely used to.