I was doing the archaeologic assessment for Wood Ranch, below the Reagan library and then a near pristine riparian oak woodland and chaparell, now another housing 'development.' This volunteer student did nothing BUT knapp on breaks, sometimes the waste flakes flying directly into a active excavation unit. The last hereditary Chumash Chief, Charlie Cook kept asking him to be more carefull and use a drop cloth. The kid was in his own world of Clan of the CaveBears meets Indiana Jones.He also had no concept of keeping horizontal integrity when excavating and tore into units like a pothunter. I finally ordered him off the site over the project director's authority when a percussion flake went wizzing into another student's eye. He either ignored or failed to hear me. Charlie Cook walked over with a nice True Temper steel shovel, and with all the dramatics of countless 'savages' filmed in these parts slammed it like a killing spear into the soil right between his legs and inches from a rather delicate body part with a bloodcurling scream. Kid looks up from now soiled levis and Charlie escorted him off the site. Upon Charlie's return we all raised our shovels overhead shouting HOKA HEY! and making war hoops with our hands over mouths. Charlie asked for a simple high five and a Coors. I always thought that was a perfect example of cultural borrowing. Always use a drop cloth and dispose of waste flakes if outdoors.
Edited by Chris Kavanaugh (12/31/07 06:14 PM)