Digging into archaeology in Portugal

Editor's note: Every year, hundreds of undergraduates at the University of Delaware pursue research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Such experiences provided by UD - a nationally recognized research university - can be life-changing, introducing young scholars to a new field, perhaps even the path to a future career, as they uncover new knowledge. These spotlights offer a glimpse into their world.

If you want to truly understand what archaeology is, set aside the Indiana Jones movies and roll up your sleeves for a real adventure in science. As University of Delaware junior Marcus Beardsley knows firsthand, fieldwork at an archaeological site can be demanding - meticulous, back-breaking and downright dirty - but well worth the effort. Such painstaking work helps reveal how past societies lived and also preserves artifacts uncovered from our distant past.

Beardsley, from Newark, Delaware, is double-majoring in history and ancient Greek and Roman studies. This past summer, he took part in five weeks of fieldwork at the Santa Susana Archaeological Project, excavating the site of an ancient Roman villa. His focus: to explore how this project's principles and methodologies compare to other archaeological projects and movements. His adviser at UD is Tyson Sukava, assistant professor of classics. His work in Portugal was guided by Drs. Rui Matalato from Universidade de Lisboa, Emma Ljung from Princeton University, and Betsy Bevis from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Q: Why did you want to pursue this research project?

Beardsley: I am exploring my interest in classical archaeology by participating at different summer field schools around the ancient Mediterranean world. My first time excavating was last summer at Antiochia ad Cragum, in Türkiye, where I studied Roman bronze coins discovered at the site for a research project (also with the UD Summer Fellows program). When Dr. Emma Ljung, director of the Santa Susana Project, proposed that I study the methodology and theory used at the site, I jumped at the chance to broaden my research experience. I got to excavate at Santa Susana and live and do lab work in Redondo (both towns are part of the Évora District of Portugal). My ultimate goal with going to different field schools is to experience the entire spectrum of archaeological work, which my research project this summer aligned with perfectly.

Q: What fascinates you the most about the Santa Susana site?

Beardsley: What fascinates me the most is the difficult archaeological environment. For example, the dirt is baked as hard as concrete by the sun (only a slight exaggeration); it's very common to find schist, a soft type of rock that can look like ceramic or sometimes metal; and the parts of the villa currently being excavated have many, many mixed-up and overlapping stratigraphic layers. All of this requires a higher level of skill than other sites whose soil is softer, whose artifacts are easily distinguishable, or whose layers are nicely stacked one on top of the other. Rather than complaining about these difficulties, the project directors take advantage of them to make SSA first and foremost a field school designed "to train the next generation of archaeologists." I have fallen in love with their approach, and I feel like I could stay here for five months and still be learning and improving.

Q: Why does research like this matter?

Beardsley: While archaeology has arguably been done since the 18th century, it has only existed as a science (rather than as some Indiana Jones adventure or as a way to find ancient booty) since the early 20th century. To this day, the field is fighting against the vestiges of its unscientific and unscholarly roots. My research will hopefully both shine a light on the areas in which archaeology needs to improve and provide examples of better practices currently implemented at Santa Susana.

Q: What's the coolest thing about being involved in this project?

Beardsley: I wish I could name more than one, but the coolest thing is probably meeting and working with passionate students from other schools who are eager to learn and are interested in archaeology, whether as a future career or just as a unique experience to spend part of their summer on. The perspective that this provides is invaluable, as it gives a better feel for both the archaeological community and the academic world more generally.

Q: Is there anything you've discovered about yourself and your career goals as you've worked on the project?

Beardsley: The excavation and research I've done, both this year and last, have confirmed to me that I would like to incorporate archaeological fieldwork into my career plan of teaching classical history as a professor. I've also discovered that it's a lot easier to excel in a classroom setting, where simply reading the textbook and/or attending class will likely guarantee success. Fieldwork, on the other hand, requires repeated trial, error, and correction to master any skill, be it trowel work, pick work, identification of materials, or record-taking, just to name a few. And all the while, archaeologists are challenged with the tough, hot, back- and knee-breaking nature of fieldwork that demands an uncommon level of endurance. In a way, however, I've grown to appreciate these extra challenges, which I so rarely encounter in the classroom. It reminds me to never become complacent but to always strive for growth.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Beardsley: I enjoy watching gaming and commentary videos on YouTube and playing video games myself, my favorite being Minecraft, which I regularly play online with my siblings to help stay connected, as we currently all live separately. I also used to sink hundreds of hours into a historical grand strategy game series called Total War, though the pace of adult life has provided little opportunity for the hours-long sessions that those demand.