Went back to the old dig site in Flagstaff after 10 years, total whiplash

I volunteered on a survey crew out near Flagstaff back in 2014, we mapped a bunch of small pit house sites on a mesa. The ground was mostly open scrub, you could see the outlines if you knew what to look for. I drove out there last weekend for a family thing and decided to swing by. Now there's a paved road running right through the middle of the area and a big culvert dug out for drainage. The actual site markers we placed are gone, probably buried under fill dirt or hauled off. What got me is how fast the vegetation changed too, invasive grasses took over where the old juniper line used to be. I know erosion and development happen, but it felt like the record just got erased in a blink. Has anyone else gone back to a spot they helped document and found it unrecognizable? What do you even do with the old notes if the ground reference is gone?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren82623d ago

So the notes are basically worthless unless you found some artifacts to tie them to, right? Did you hang onto any photos or GPS points that could at least map where the old site used to sit before the road crew showed up?

the_mary23d ago

Honestly @wren826, it's just old notes, no need to treat it like lost treasure.