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Archaeologist

Tell me a little bit about yourself — some background information for our readers. My name is Joe Bagley, I am 29, and I am the City Archaeologist of Boston. My job is to preserve, protect and promote Boston’s historic and native archaeological sites. To date, we have more than 300 archaeological sites documented in Boston, and they span about 10,000 years of human history in the city. What is a typical workday like for you? I have three kinds of workdays. In city hall, I work at a desk reviewing construction projects on public and private land to see if folks need to do an archaeological dig before soil gets disturbed. At the city archaeology lab, located across town, I work with a team of volunteers to process more than 1,000,000 artifacts excavated on Boston sites and help researchers use these artifacts to find out information about the past. Finally, when we do digs, I supervise another team of volunteers working to help document the city’s history through archaeological digging. What does it take to become an archaeologist? Archaeology is a science and takes years of practice and study to become good at turning the “stuff” into “stories” of the past. That said, all of my digs and lab work are done with volunteers, and many have never done a dig before. As long as the person running the dig is experienced, most digs can be done by folks with little experience. I received a bachelor of arts in archaeology from Boston University, and I have my master’s degree in historical archaeology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. When and why did you first become interested in archeology? I grew up in Maine and thought that archaeology was like looking through the woods with x-ray vision to see what stuff was underground or how the world used to look thousands of years ago. I was hoping that archaeology would be a good combination of science and discovery, which I wanted in my career, so I signed up for a dig in Maine one summer and loved it! That convinced me to follow archaeology at college. What is the hardest part of your job? The hardest part of my job is the summer when the weather starts to get nice and many of my archaeology friends are out surveying sites and I am in the office not quite ready to dig. Archaeologists want to be outside! I am currently planning a dig in Boston this summer, but all of the planning is done in the office. Soon I will be able to do some fieldwork. What is the best part of your job? The best part of my job is when we are out doing a dig and someone stops by to watch and they get to participate in the fieldwork and discovery. Watching people understand that archaeology is real discovery of history is exciting. Tell me about your most exciting dig. Our most exciting dig was behind a 1715 house in the North End. We were expecting the site to only be a few feet deep. At four feet down, we had recovered almost 40,000 artifacts in 10 small units 3×3 feet square. That’s an area the size of a small bathroom. Imagine having 40,000 pieces of anything in a bathroom! A year later we are still working through all of the artifacts to write the history of the house and the people who lived there. Tell me about your most exciting find. Our most exciting find was a 3,000-year-old Native American site on a Revolutionary War Training field. We knew there could be native artifacts on the park since it had never been developed, but we were all surprised to find it. It is always exciting to take a place where people think they know the entire story (the Revolutionary War happened here!) and add an entirely new aspect of the place (and a native camp was here thousands of years ago, too!) What are some interesting facts that most people don’t know about what an archeologist does. Many people think archaeologists study dinosaurs. Archaeologists only study people, specifically the “stuff” people leave behind. For me, a huge amount of what I do as an archaeologist is at the lab. Digging is where we collect our scientific data, but it is in the lab where we piece back together the history of what we find. It has taken nearly one year to do the lab work for the three-week-long dig we did in the North End of Boston. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working? I am a live-in caretaker of a historic house in Boston. I spend many of my nights and weekends taking care of the property’s plants and landscape and really enjoy being outside and keeping my hands dirty. Where can kids find out more about archaeology? If you are interested in the archaeology of Boston, follow our Facebook page where we post real-time updates of our digs and lab work: facebook.com/bostonarchaeologyprogram. Is there something that you wish more people understood about history? If so, what is it? History is EVERYWHERE and can be extremely interesting and exciting, but sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper.

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Kids

Oceanic Explorer and Researcher

Are you intrigued by the ocean, what lives within it and how it works? Do you have a desire for adventure on the high seas anywhere in the world aboard ships of exploration and research? If so, then becoming an ocean scientist — an ocean explorer and researcher — just might be the life for you. Exploring and studying the ocean require an inquisitive mind and a good academic education. You will need a solid foundation in the sciences and the math that is available to you in high school. Ultimately, you will need to obtain a college and, most likely, a graduate degree. Dr. Stephen Hammond is an oceanic explorer and researcher. He works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. I had a great time talking with him about his work! Truman: When and why did you first become interested in working in this field? Hammond: I became interested in oceanography by accident. I was a business major in a community college, and for my science requirement, I took a geology course. The instructor was excellent, and I knew immediately that studying the Earth was what I really wanted to do. So I completed my first college degree in geology. At the time I was getting my bachelor’s degree, there was a major discovery in the field of oceanography — the discovery that plates of the Earth’s crust move and the record of their movements is recorded in seafloor volcanic rocks — and I immediately decided to go to graduate school in marine geophysics (a marine geophysicist is a seagoing geologist). I completed a master’s and a PhD in marine geology and geophysics and have been exploring and studying the ocean and the ocean’s seafloor ever since. My specialty is the study of submarine volcanoes. Truman: What is the hardest part of your job? Hammond: I am a firm believer that everyone should choose what one does for a career very carefully so that during one’s working career, one is always excited and challenged by one’s chosen career mission in life. I did that, and as a result, there is no hardest part of my job. There are always issues to confront and resolve. Sometimes, for example, it is hard to find the money necessary to pay for the ships and submersibles that we use, but we always find a way, and working hard for a goal definitely makes one appreciate what he or she has accomplished. Conducting exploration and research can be hard work, but since I truly love what I’m doing, it’s very satisfying. Truman: What is the most exciting/interesting part of your job? Hammond: The most exciting part of my job is being in the field aboard a ship or a submarine and exploring a part of the Earth’s surface (in this case, the seafloor) that has never been seen by anyone else. We make lots of discoveries, things like new species of marine life and observations of geological processes like deep volcanic eruptions. The ocean remains well over 90 percent unexplored, and the discoveries we are making have important implications for issues including global warming and understanding the effects of a globally changing ocean environment (due to the ocean becoming more acidic, for example) on important fisheries resources. Truman: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at work? Hammond: My favorite things to do when I’m not at work include playing tennis, riding my bike, fly fishing and, especially, reading. Truman: What are some cool things about the ocean that most people don’t know? Hammond: Most people don’t realize that the ocean remains virtually unexplored. The ocean is critical to life on Earth. We all need oxygen to breathe, for example. Well, about 50 percent of the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen is produced by marine phytoplankton. With the ocean becoming more acidic (due to the fact that it is absorbing the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide that we humans are putting into the atmosphere), we need to figure out what the impacts on ocean life may be. Another fascinating thing that marine (micro)biologists are just beginning to understand is that there is a vast universe of microorganisms under the seafloor, especially in areas heated by submarine volcanic activity. These bacteria and bacteria-like organisms live in extreme physical and chemical conditions. Some of these microorganisms live in water that is hotter than 100 degrees Centigrade and their chemistry would be poisonous to humans. These microorganisms are of great interest to marine biologists because they may hold prospects for enabling the creation of new medicines and biotechnical applications. Truman: What is it like to watch an underwater volcano erupt, and how is this important to the ecosystem? Hammond: Watching a submarine eruption deep in the ocean is both visually and acoustically astounding! Although we’ve only managed to see two such eruptions in actual action (even though these kinds of eruptions are the most common eruptions on Earth), it is very clear that they are responsible for impacts on marine life. And not just impacts like being engulfed by lava flows. These eruptions also produce huge amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, both of which result in making the areas around the volcanoes acidic. The acidity, in turn, affects seafloor life in surprising ways that we are just beginning to understand. Many animals like living around active volcanoes because the fluids and gases that are produced during eruptions contain nutrients. Since we have only begun the study of deep volcanic eruptions, however, there are undoubtedly many important discoveries yet to be made. (Here is a link to our website where you can find some video clips of a major eruption observed in 2009: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/09laubasin/welcome.html. Tune into our website this Fall when we will be featuring more live video as we explore undersea mountains, the seafloor and the animals that live in the deep, dark ocean. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov. Truman: Thank you, Dr. Hammond!

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Kids

Arctic Scientist

I got to talk with Alessio Gusmeroli this month. He is an Arctic Scientist. Truman: Tell me a little about yourself — some background information for our readers. AG: I am Alessio Gusmeroli, 29-years-old, from Italy. I live and work in Alaska. I came here four years ago after completing my graduate studies in the United Kingdom. I spend most of my day studying glaciers, snow and ice. Truman: Can you tell me a little bit about what you do? What is your typical day like? AG: When I am not in the office, my typical day out in the field starts by waking up in a cozy sleeping bag, under a tent in a snowy ice field. The first thing you have to do there is prepare water for breakfast. We do this by melting snow in a pot. After breakfast, we go out in the blazing Arctic sun to collect our measurements for the entire day. Truman: What does it take to become an Arctic Explorer? AG: You have to ask this of the Arctic Explorers. I am only an Arctic Scientist. But I can tell you that it takes will and perseverance. These are natural qualities in all of us. All of us can do things. To accomplish big things, we have to remove fear and doubts — and go straight to realizing our dreams. Truman: When and why did you first become interested in the Arctic? AG: I grew up in the Italian Alps, surrounded by snowy mountains. As a child, I loved exploring mountains and the natural environment and developed a fascination for natural phenomena. This led to the discovery of mountaineering and glaciology, which hasn’t left me since. Truman: What’s the hardest part of your job? AG: Going back to work after walking my dogs at lunchtime. They always want to play with me, so it is always hard to leave them. Truman: What is the best part of your job? AG: Discovering things that were not known before and sharing it with everyone, my colleagues, my family, my community and kids! Truman: Can you tell me about your most exciting expedition? AG: My most exciting expedition is the one that is about to happen in a week from now. We will be camping for two weeks on the Taku Glacier, near Juneau in Alaska. We will be installing explosive charges on the ice. We will generate big explosions and we will study how the explosions will propagate into ice. This will help us understand glacier motion and glacier erosion. Truman: What are some interesting facts that most people don’t know about the Arctic region? Maybe you don’t know that the Arctic can be quite warm, too. When the sun is high in the sky and the wind is not blowing, you can easily stand in a T-shirt enjoying the afternoon sun. You can also tan! Truman: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working? AG: I love martial arts. When I am not working, you can find me in our local dojo (a martial arts school) learning and practicing martial arts. I love helping out teaching karate to kids. I started martial arts when I was a little kid. It is still accompanying me, and, without a doubt, it will do so throughout the rest of my life. Truman: Where can kids find out more? AG: Kids can find out more online. This is a nice video that shows some of our field research last spring in the Arctic. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVwTINk9DE This other video shows a much colder experience. It shows you how hard things can be when you work in cold places. http://vimeo.com/68575607 Truman: What is your favorite place to explore? AG: My favorite place is Val Tartano, a beautiful alpine valley located in the Italian Alps. This is the birthplace of my mom and dad, their parents and their parents before them. It is the place I know the most, the place that triggered my interest towards nature. I always go back to those mountains, and, even though I have walked in them since the age of 3, I always discover something new. Truman: I can’t wait to hear about your next expedition!

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What’s It Like To be

What’s It Like to Be… an Olympic Gymnast?

Shannon Miller has won an astounding 59 international and 49 national competition medals. Over half of these have been gold. She is the only U.S. gymnast to win two World All-Around Titles, and she is the first American female to medal in the individual all-around of a non-boycotted Olympics. Her tally of five medals (two silver, three bronze) at the 1992 Olympics was the most won by a U.S. athlete in any sport. At the ’96 Games, she led the “Magnificent Seven” to the U.S. Women’s first-ever Team Gold, and for the first time for any American gymnast, she captured gold on the balance beam. She is the first American gymnast to win an individual gold medal at a fully attended Summer Games and cemented her place as the most accomplished gymnast, male or female, in U.S. Olympic history. Truman: What does it take to be a gymnast? Miller: A gymnast must have physical strength, flexibility, balance and agility. However, much of that will be learned over time. To do well, a gymnast needs to have a basic understanding of physics, the work ethic to repeat skills and routines numerous times and the ability to remain focused on a task. Most importantly, a gymnast must love and be passionate about the sport. Truman: When and why did you first become interested in gymnastics? Miller: I fell in love with gymnastics after following my older sister into the sport at the age of five. I had always wanted to be just like my big sis. After she decided to move onto swimming, I realized I enjoyed gymnastics too much to leave. Truman: What is the most challenging thing about being a gymnast? Miller: As with any sport, there are many challenges. And I think each gymnast has his or her own “biggest” challenge. My challenge was frustration. There were times I would get frustrated as a young gymnast to the point that I was unable to listen to the correction the coach was making. I had to learn that mistakes are part of the process. Mistakes are what help you learn. Truman: What is the best thing about being a gymnast? Miller: I loved competing for my country. There is nothing like standing on the podium, gold medal around your neck, U-S-A across your back seeing the American Flag being raised and hearing the sounds of my national anthem. It was wonderful to represent something so much bigger than just myself. Truman: What is your favorite thing to do that is not gymnastics related? Miller: I enjoy golf and reading. Truman: Thank you for sharing your story with me!

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