is a Volunteer Digger The Doctor


by Michael O. Hartley, PhD H


e is a retired pathologist. He is the author of a number of


books on Civil War history (the most recent, on Confederate sea and land mines, will be available soon). For Old Salem he is a reliable and competent archaeology lab vol- unteer. Dr. Herb Schiller began his relationship with OSMG as a stu- dent in the 2008 Archaeology Field School. Following that experience, he immediately volunteered for lab work and has been a productive


member of the archaeology team. Schiller also enjoys traveling the


world to see places of archaeo- logical significance. He has visited Greek and Roman sites, South American ruins, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. He has also explored military sites, including the remains of Civil War engagements in this country and evidence of World War I trench warfare in France. In Old Salem’s lab, Schiller has


cheerfully undertaken the prosaic chore of preparing excavated arti- facts for analysis. This includes care- fully washing artifacts, in labeled bags, of excavated materials, a pro- cess requiring attention to detail so the provenience of the material will be maintained. Provenience, mean- ing horizontal and vertical loca- tion, provides the site relationships that give artifacts meaning. For the past year, Schiller has focused on the artifacts excavated from the Schaffner-Krause pottery. Since that pottery site was the location of his field school experience, he has a valuable awareness of the context of the artifacts. Because of his excellent application, the materials are well prepared for analysis. Schiller is currently participat- ing in the ongoing analytical phase


of lab work, which contributes to our further understanding of the Schaffner-Krause pottery. Along with archaeology lab manager Jennifer Garrison, Schiller is focus- ing on the types and distribution of artifacts in the pottery yard between the shop and the kiln. New information is emerging from this work. Schiller said, “Prior to my experience in the 2008 Field School, archaeology for me had been visiting sites, exploring ruins, and seeing displayed artifacts in museums. Participating in an actual dig and having the opportu- nity to learn how to clean, catalog, and begin to evaluate artifacts in the context of an actual site has been very exciting. Mo and Martha Hartley and Jennifer Garrison have all been helpful and patient in teaching me how to do all this work. They’ve given me an entirely new perspective about archaeology. I view this as a great opportunity and hope to continue with it for many more years.” m


Michael O. Hartley, PhD is Director of Archaeology at Old Salem Museums & Gardens


Dr. Herb Schiller has put his 2008 Field School training to work as a productive volunteer member of Old Salem’s archaeology team.


28 Old Salem Museums & Gardens


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