{"id":424,"date":"2026-03-04T13:23:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lottegovaerts.net\/blog\/?p=424"},"modified":"2026-03-04T13:23:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:23:33","slug":"tools-of-the-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lottegovaerts.net\/blog\/index.php\/2026\/03\/04\/tools-of-the-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Tools of the Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Lotte Govaerts<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(This post was originally published on the Rogers Archaeology Lab blog on February 6, 2024. You can see the original post archived here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This image-heavy blog post is all about tools! Today we want to tell you not about tools found in archaeological contexts but rather about the tools archaeologists use to excavate sites. Well, about a few of those tools, anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, I tweeted a series of photos for a \u201c31 Days of Archaeology\u201d Twitter event, in which participants posted archaeology-themed photos in response to a series of prompts.[1]<\/sup><\/a> One of the prompts was \u201cTools of the Trade\u201d. On that day, I posted a photo of the contents of my tool bag. My Twitter followers later expressed some interest in seeing that tweet turned into a blog post, so I have now expanded that tweet into this post. Come join my exploration of the objects in the first photo! As it may be difficult to see all the tools in that photo, I\u2019m including some closeups below. As always, you can click each image to see a larger version [Repost edit: This is no longer true, but the images here are much bigger than they were on TypePad].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The contents of the author’s tool bag. Photo Lotte Govaerts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before I get started, I should clarify that the contents of my tool bag are optimized for field work on the east coast of the United States. Archaeologists who do fieldwork in places with different soils and different climate conditions may have a completely different set of tools! In addition, the tools pictured here are hand tools that fit in my bag. We typically use larger tools as well. You will see some of those other tools in the photos below, though I will not discuss them in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I should also add that I have not done regular fieldwork since I came to the Rogers Archaeology Lab; I only occasionally volunteer on other people\u2019s projects now. Therefore, many of the photos in this post are more than a few years old, even if I talk about the work in the present tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trowels<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"Three
The author’s trowels. Photo: Lotte Govaerts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pictured here are my trowels. While not all archaeological work involves digging, digging is still a central activity in this profession, and these trowels are my main digging tools, alongside shovels. Archaeological excavations involve various conditions and situations. Some situations require the use of shovels or even big earth-moving equipment to dig. In other situations, when more precision is required, small hand tools are better suited to the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
The author using a trowel to dig. In this case, I was carefully digging down a soil level without cutting into the level below. You can see a few different soil levels in the walls of these test units; they have different colors. Photo: Appalachian State University Laboratories of Archaeological Science (ASULAS)\/US Forest Service (USFS).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The three trowels in the photo all started out the same size \u2013 a bit larger than the largest of the three \u2013 but they have gotten smaller over time due to sharpening. They have been sharpened many times! Why do we need sharp trowels? The sharp edge not only makes digging easier, but it also makes the soil easier to read. When you scrape a soil surface with a sharp edge, the different soil colors and textures become much easier to see. If you continue to work on that surface, walk on it, or brush dirt over it, the soil gets all smudged and these features become invisible. That\u2019s why we clean our working surfaces with trowels every time we take photos and start investigating something new on that surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The author and colleagues, trowel-cleaning a large surface. Photo: Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Several
A freshly cleaned surface (by the author and colleagues), showing the outlines of various features, visible as darker areas against the lighter colored subsoil. Photo: ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author on a large, freshly cleaned surface, preparing a sign board for a photo. The dark square area is a burned building. The partial outline of another, round building can be seen just above it, partially covered by topsoil. The area that is cut out deeper than the surrounding soil was an early test trench. The shovel in the top left functions as a north arrow. This surface was cleaned by a row of people working side by side. Photo: Warren Wilson College Archaeology Lab\/Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"An
The author, spraying water onto the outline of a feature and the surrounding soil in preparation for a photo. Adding water makes features stand out more in photos, as even after cleaning with trowels, these outlines become invisible quickly as the soil dries out. Photo: Blue Ridge Archaeological Consultants (BRAC).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Measuring tools<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"Measuring
A collection of measuring tapes and folding rulers. Photo: Lotte Govaerts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Archaeological fieldwork requires a lot of measuring. That\u2019s why my tool bag contains several tape measures and other measuring instruments. Because archaeological excavation is destructive by its very nature, it is very important that we carefully document everything we do and find as we excavate. We use these tools to establish grids for digging and to note the coordinates of in-situ finds. We also carefully map each level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The author and a colleague mapping a feature profile (i.e., drawing the outlines of the different soils\/deposits in the profile, see next photo). One folding ruler measures horizontal distance, the other vertical. Photo: Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Another
One half of this feature has been excavated. You can see the different deposits\/soil levels in the profile. We photograph and draw these profiles before excavating the other half. Photo: ASULAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"op
The author using a tape measure to measure the depth of a test pit. Photo: BRAC\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author rolling up some string and a very long measuring tape after doing some long-distance measuring. Photo: ASULAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Spoons<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The spoons pictured in the top photo are also used for digging. When we dig features with rounded edges, the rounded shapes of different-sized spoons come in handy. It\u2019s impossible to dig out these shapes with the straight edges of trowels!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The author, using a spoon to dig between rocks. Photo: ASULAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The author and a colleague, excavating a feature with a few spoons, of different sizes and shapes, at the ready. Photo: ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Root clippers<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"Two
Different sized root clippers or gardening shears. Photo: Lotte Govaerts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I refer to these tools as \u201croot clippers\u201d even though they\u2019re clearly\u2026 gardening shears. In archaeology, we use them to cut roots, though. We try not to bother the trees too much, but there\u2019s typically a larger version on site too, as well as a saw or two, to cut larger roots we encounter in our excavation squares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brushes<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"Three
Three paint brushes and a toothbrush, all with some dirt on them. Photo: Lotte Govaerts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These paint brushes are used to brush loose dirt off certain surfaces. Brushing dirt off a soil surface is usually pointless, because (depending on the soil) doing so will smear the surface, but brushes come in very handy when cleaning up rocks and other hard surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t use toothbrushes a lot in the field, although I use them regularly when processing freshly excavated artifacts in the lab.  I keep one in my tool bag for those occasions when I want to scrub some dirt off the broken edge of a sherd to see the temper, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The author, using one of the brushes pictured in the previous photo to brush dirt off rocks. Photo: ASULAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The author digging a test unit with root clippers and a brush handy on the side. Photo: BRAC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Gloves<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A glove with holes in the fingers. Photo: Lotte Govaerts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll note that I have a lot of gloves in my bag. That\u2019s because I use them a lot and because archaeological fieldwork is very hard on them; activities like screening (pushing dirt through a metal screen) cause holes, especially in the fingers. Screening without gloves can be dangerous, as for example chipped stone tools that are hundreds or thousands of years old are still sharp and it\u2019s easy to cut yourself as you\u2019re pushing the soil through the screen. There could also be glass or metal fragments in the soil. Some of the pictured gloves are for warmth rather than for protection. I wear those underneath the sturdier work gloves when it is very cold out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flagging tape<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t remember now why a piece of flagging tape with the word \u201cunfinished\u201d on it was in my bag, but we use pieces of brightly colored flagging tape like that (the roll that piece came from was not in my bag; I typically keep it in my backpack so it stays clean) to mark locations out in the woods (we remove it when we\u2019re done!) or to label bags of soil and other items. We also use similarly bright pin flags to mark grid coordinates, the location of test pits, or surface finds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Approximately
The author using flagging tape to label bags of soil. Photo: ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author, digging a test pit along a line marked with flagging tape. Photo: BRAC\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author, screening soil from a test unit at a site disturbed by an illegal road cut. In this image, the orange pin flags represent surface finds. Each flag marks an artifact found on the disturbed surface. Blue pin flags mark the grid and have coordinates on them. Photo: BRAC\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The author screening dirt from a test pit in a box screen. The orange pin flag marks a grid location. The coordinates are written on the flag. Photo: BRAC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Screwdrivers<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, my tool bag contains two screwdrivers. I don\u2019t typically need two screwdrivers at the same time, but it\u2019s good to have backups! I occasionally need a screwdriver to fix a screen or other piece of equipment but that is not an everyday kind of thing when I am doing fieldwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pointy wooden sticks<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The small wooden tools seen in the first photo (mostly in the top left) are used for excavating delicate objects, like pieces of burned wood, or for getting the dirt from between rocks or other tight spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The author using a wooden tool to dig between rocks. Photo: ASULAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Several
A colleague using a wooden tool to excavate a piece of burned wood. Photo: The Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Pens and pencils<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

I keep a few pens and pencils in my tool bag; I have more in my backpack where they stay clean longer. We use thin sharpies to write on bag tags and thick sharpies to write on flagging tape, pin flags, and sometimes artifact bags. We use pens and pencils to take notes and fill out forms. When we excavate test units, we fill out a unit level form for each level; in it, we note details such as soil color and texture and describe the types of artifacts we encountered during excavation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The author, filling out forms. Photo: The Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The author, taking notes while digging a test pit. Photo: BRAC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Line level<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The line level (next to the pens and pencils in the bottom left of the top photo) is mostly used for mapping profiles (the exposed wall of a test unit or a feature). It provides a straight, level reference to measure everything in the profile against, as seen in the photo I posted above to illustrate folding rulers in use, which I will reproduce here for your convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The author and a colleague mapping a feature profile. A line level is attached to pink string pulled tight across the surface of a half-excavated feature. Photo: The Exploring Joara Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
String<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The white string (center left in the first photo) is mainly used for marking grids\/excavation units as well as for drawing profiles. I keep it in a plastic bag so that it doesn\u2019t turn brown from being in contact with the dirty tools in my tool bag. White, or a bright color like the pink in the previous photo, is easier to distinguish from the soil in photos. You can see the string around many of the excavation units in the photos above and below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The author, just starting on a small test unit marked with white string. Photo ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author (left) and a colleague, excavating adjoining test units. The units are offset by a half unit’s width, due to the shape of the riverbank just outside the photo. Note the white string around the units. Photo ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Files<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Files are used for sharpening trowels and shovels. This needs to be done fairly regularly as the edges become dull relatively quickly. Sharp edges make digging much easier!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The author, sharpening a shovel. Photo: Isaac Brownell.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Bag tags<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The bag tags seen in the center right of the top photo are paper cards used for labeling all artifacts. I keep a few of them in my tool bag, but most of them are kept in a cleaner place. Once the required details have been filled out, these tags are placed inside a small plastic bag that goes inside a larger artifact bag; the smaller bag keeps them from getting wet or dirty through contact with artifacts that come straight out of the soil. Each artifact bag gets a tag with information about the location where the artifacts were found (i.e., grid coordinates, level) along with the date, the name of the project and\/or the site number (sometimes we collect artifacts outside of sites or on sites that do not yet have a number, so it is important to record the project name as well), and some other details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A stack of artifact bags with tags inside. Photo: Lotte Govaerts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Other tools<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

As you can clearly see in the photos above, we use many other tools in the field. Shovels, screens, measuring tape and shears too big to fit in a tool bag, buckets and dust pans (for collecting the soil excavated by trowel and depositing it into a screen) We also sometimes use heavy digging equipment, homemade equipment like water screening constructions and flotation tanks, and both small and larger electronics. These tools are either too big, too delicate, or too clean to be in a tool bag and are therefore not discussed here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The author using a water screen to screen soil. Photo: ASULAS\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The author taking a GPS reading to mark the location of a small section of wall in the woods. BRAC\/USFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I hope you enjoyed this stroll through the contents of my tool bag, through some of the sites where I worked in the past, and through some of the more scenic places in western North Carolina, my main work area before I joined the Rogers Archaeology Lab and moved my research interests to the Great Plains. Stay tuned for updates on more recent research that will be posted here soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/a> The prompts were written by Kim Biddulph, who has since left Twitter and deleted the original post; therefore, that post is not linked here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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