Digging Into the Past
Many digs depend on volunteers as well as research staff. People may join for a few days or spend an entire summer at a site. Before anyone begins digging, they are shown how to remove soil without accidentally throwing small finds (9) ________. Finds have to be recorded in the exact place (10) ________ they are discovered, because location can be as important as the object itself. Volunteers soon learn that archaeology is less about finding treasure (11) ________ about collecting evidence carefully. The work can be physically demanding, especially in hot weather, but many participants say the experience is worth (12) ________. They often become involved because they want to know more about how people used to live. Even a tiny object can show researchers (13) ________ everyday life in the past was like. Once the digging has finished, the finds must (14) ________ studied carefully for several months. For volunteers, the most satisfying moment is often seeing how their small contribution fits (15) ________ a much larger picture. Some return year (16) ________ year.