Digging in Western Australia

One of my favorite parts of studying abroad was my Archaeology class. Its not offered at University of Portland, so I jumped at the opportunity to take it at Notre Dame. We spent the semester learning the basics of archaeology,  the process of excavation and learning about various discoveries throughout history. It was taught by Dr. Shane Burke, who is one of my favorite teachers I have ever had. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject, and if you have ever taken an academic class, you know how important that is. He made it interesting and relevant, allowing me to fully enjoy and learn about Archaeology. As a part of the class, we took a field trip to Peel Town- an excavation site south of Fremantle. 

Sifter: second step in the excavation process

our site

Shane examining the hearth we found

I felt so legit, excavating a site that was dated to 1830. It was such a great first hand experience, that taught me more of the history of Australia. Peel Town was a British settlement during the time of British Colonization of Australia. We found glass bottles, ceramics, iron nails, bullets, and a hearth, and got a glimpse of how this community lived during this time, adapting to a new environment that is oh so different than England. I loved every minute of getting my hands dirty. Archaeology was definitely my favorite class, and I have Shane to thank for that.