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Eight people standing in front of a tree holding up two fingers.

Day 2: First Day of Fieldwork

Human Rights, Migrant Death

Now that we’ve reached Falfurrias, the whole team has assembled and it is time to get to work.  We decided to meet in the Sacred Heart Burial Park to plan our excavations.  At sunrise, the UIndy team combined with the great people of Texas State to create our one conglomerated mega-team.

People standing in a circle.
The Team

The first step of the process was introductions.  Many of our troupe of players already knew each other, but it was a great opportunity to get familiar with new faces.  The next step was to describe all of the work that had been done in the previous years (if you are curious about the previous work click here).  This was followed by a tour of the cemetery and a survey of the areas in which we will be working over the next several days.

A team member kneeling on the ground with a compass.
Perfect compass form.

After the tour, we began the slow and methodical mapping and gridding of the area we would be excavating.  Normally at UIndy, we hand-draw our site maps; while Leann took on this task, Texas State brought some amazing space-age tools with them to help in the process.  One of the tools they brought was a transit mapping system.  Normal mapping systems, like the Total stations we have in our lab rely on lasers and a direct line of sight.  While they are useful, they can be tough to use in certain conditions.  This next-generation iteration does not rely on direct line of sight and can be used nearly everywhere.  They also brought ground penetrating radar (or GPR). This equipment provides a way of peering into the ground without having to dig it up first.  This saves us from having to completely excavate several areas that may contain nothing at all.

Team members using a Total Station
Where do you get these wonderful toys?

Finally, we finished the day by shovel-shining our areas so they will be ready to excavate tomorrow.  Shovel-shining is the process of removing the surface debris and vegetation.  Not only is it essential to the process but it also makes everything look pretty.  I’m very excited to continue the process tomorrow.

An area of ground with the grass removed.
Shovel Shine

Justin

Eight people standing and smiling in an airport.

Day 1: From Indiana to Texas

Reflections

We ended day 1 exhausted  even though we didn’t do any digging in the cemetery today.  Since we were meeting at the airport at 6am, our days started very early.  Getting 10 people (8 team members plus two family members – one of them an infant), 10 checked bags, one checked crib and one checked car seat through the American Airlines counter was no easy task.  After that is was onto airport security and then a well needed cup of coffee. At this point we were all eagerly anticipating our first flight to DFW airport.

Once we arrived at DFW we learned our connecting flight was delayed an hour, so we decided to get an early lunch. After lunch we moved our group plus all our stuff (two carry on pieces per person plus a stroller down to our gate (C17). As soon as we got settled we were notified that our flight was delayed an hour longer and were moved to gate C7. After a two hour delay we were on our short 43 min flight to San Antonio.  Then we held our breath at the luggage carousel hoping that each piece made it as well, and sighed a heavy sigh of relief when we lifted the last piece from the belt.

A group of people sitting on the floor.
Passing the time at DFW

Our next hurdle involved getting the rental cars from Alamo. After a slight hiccup, the manager assisted us in getting our 3 vehicles (with the same price as the reservation). We shared the purpose of our trip with him and he wished us luck as we started as 2.5 hour drive south. We finally arrived at the hotel around 6:30pm. Exhausted and hungry we decided to get pizza and have a working dinner. The cultural anthropologists discussed proper participant observation technique and how to construct field notes. The forensic team discussed plans and potential complications for beginning exhumations the next day. We ended the day at HEB grocery store getting lunch items and supplies for the next day.

While not the most exciting day in the field, our new members learned patience and the ability to adapt are important characters for this type of work. We are all trying to be in bed by midnight to allow us a few solid hours of sleep before we meet at 6:30am for breakfast and the start of our next day.

~KEL

Planes, More Planes, and Automobiles

Reflections

At last, we have made it to Falfurrias! We gathered at the Indianapolis International Airport at 6:00 am this morning, where we began our long journey to South Texas. Our first flight brought us to Dallas swiftly and safely, with everything going impressively smoothly thus far. However, as any member of my immediate family would tell you, the Cantor curse ensures that no trip is complete without at least a few hiccups. So perhaps I am to blame for the longer-than-expected day of travel that was to follow. After a delayed flight in Dallas, we arrived in San Antonio a couple of hours behind schedule. Fortunately, all of our luggage arrived with us, which is something I think we were all very grateful for. However, difficulties with the rental car company delayed us even further and so at about 3:30 pm we finally set out with our 3-car caravan on the 3-hour drive to Falfurrias, Texas.

We arrived at our hotel at about 6:30 pm, just over 12 hours after our journey began. Needless to say, it was a long day of travel but our work for the day was not yet complete. We briefly settled in our hotel rooms before our stomachs got the best of us, so we picked up pizza from across the street and hunkered down to plan our first day out in the field. After plans had been made, several of us traveled to the only grocery store in town to grab supplies for lunch, as well as to pick up any personal items that may have been forgotten (lets be honest, no matter how many lists one may write, odds are that something will be left behind). At last, we had fulfilled all of our duties for our first day in South Texas and I know that by the end of the night, everyone was ready to begin our work in the field the following morning.

Something that surprised me through all of the setbacks and complications that we experienced today was that everyone on our team remained in remarkably high spirits. After two flights and waiting outside the rental company for at least an hour, the daunting 3-hour drive seemed to fly by and was actually quite enjoyable. I rode shotgun in a car with my fellow graduate students, Justin, Leann, and Jessica. We jammed to some good old AC/DC Pandora radio and watched the gorgeous sunset over the vast Texan expanse. Justin educated us all on several native bird species and we discussed our thoughts on the work and days to come. I think our persistent good spirits and optimism throughout our 12-hour journey reflects each of our excitement for what is to come. I think we are all more than ready to begin doing what we can to help and I can honestly say that I am incredibly proud to be a member of such a driven and determined team.

Erica