My name is Jodi Howe and I am from Indian Brook. I’m going into my last year of high school and will soon be applying to university to study archaeology. I returned to KMKNO for my second summer placement this year and worked once again with Heather MacLeod-Leslie in the archaeology department. Last summer I learned about the MARI database, floral and faunal research, excavation and identification of soils and different artifacts. I used the skills that I learned last year and was able to expand my knowledge further this year. In the office I got familiar with GIS, map reading and interpreting evidence for village research.
In the field I learned about consulting and how to survey and shovel test. Going into the field this summer was hard work but I enjoyed it. On the site we uncovered a few artifacts which was definitely the reward we got for all of our hard work. The sites that I visited this year were very different than the ones last year. I learned about different environments and identifying different materials.
Not everyone has the amazing opportunity to work on archaeological sites so I am very grateful that I got to do so. I’m happy that I was able to gain experience that will help me when applying to university. Heather has been a huge help not just in mentoring me but also showing me good schools with great archaeology programs. I am very glad that I got to work with Heather, she wants me to succeed in whatever I choose to do in life and has done nothing but support me.
Over the last two years this job has opened many doors for me. I got to meet and work with many important people within the archaeological community. I really do love my job because it is both challenging and fun, I hope to return next year to gain even more experience.