https://sites.up.edu/pollentia/

UP PURE - Pollentia Undergraduate Research Expedition

Student Researcher

June 2018 • Alcúdia, Balearic Islands

What I liked

I got to enjoy the experience of researching using archaeometry. Archaeometry is a combination of archaeology and sciences such as chemistry and biology to understand materials of the past from a scientific perspective. I got to experience archaeology each morning in the field, digging for new specimens and studying the physical appearances of different bones and potteries to understand Ancient Roman culture. But I also got to work in a laboratory every evening and worked hard to determine the element compositions of metal artifacts found all throughout the dig site.

What I wish was different

I wish that the government in Alcudia provided more funding to the project so that we could have worked for a few more weeks. I feel that we were just breaking the surface in terms of archaeology and coin analysis when we left.

Advice

Be willing to spend extra hours in the lab. There is only a short period of time that you will be able to work with ancient artifacts like the ones we had. It is important to analyze them as much as possible before they must be given back to the government or another institution.
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