Earthwatch, introduction

I thought I'd write about the Earthwatch dig experience differently. That is, not so much by calendar, which wasn't quite so important. Instead, I'll write about the people, the places, the activities. But first I want to describe Earthwatch and what I signed up for.

Earthwatch is a non-profit organization based in Maynard, Mass. It's purpose is to bring together scientific researchers with volunteers prepared to offer time and money to the effort. Much of Earthwatch's funding comes from corporate donors, who often send employees on these expeditions as a perq. For example, on the dig there were three ALCOA employees. The volunteers pay their costs (room/board/supplies) plus travel expenses. Part of the volunteers fees may also go to support the research (which, as it turns out, was the case on this dig).

The expedition I signed up for was titled "Early Man In Spain". The researches have, over the last 30 years, found significant evidence of human or pre-human activity in southern Spain, dating back to 1-1.2 million years ago. They have found a humanoid skull fragment, and a finger bone they believe is human.

The advertised dig site was in a small community in the region of Andalusía called Orce, which is located in an area that was a lake bed about 1 million years ago.
However, at the last minute, the regional authorities refused to grant permission to dig at this site (for reasons that are best described as political, which I may describe in detail in another post).

Because of this, the researchers were working at two other sites, located a short distance apart, in the province of Murcia. The main site here was Cueva Victoria, an old (Roman to modern era) mining site that is rich with deposited fossils from the right time. It is at this site that the finger bone was found. The second site is on the hill containing the mine, and was a source of flint chips and other human artifacts.