Sošice
Sošice was a church in use between the 6th and 18th century in rural Croatia. Many people were buried underneath the foundation. Today, all that remains are the stone foundation walls. I enrolled as a transient student with Mississippi State University for the Summer of 2019 to join this program. Beginning in mid-June, I learned the basics of excavation. Working along side professional Croatian archaeologists, I became adept at naming and identifying bones while also developing a talent for excavating precisely. By the end of the program in Mid July, I was able to fully excavate a skeleton on my own, while still under the supervision of the local archaeologists.
In addition to naming bones and excavating, my peers and I were responsible for filling out paper work. We had to map the skeletons by hand, then fill out what bones were present. I learned to give initial sex estimates as well as age. Due to the Sahara sand that blew over the Mediterranean and covered the site, most of the preservation was poor. However, belt buckles, buttons, coins, and coffin nails in addition to human remains were able to be located.
On the weekends, we had opportunities to travel as a group to different cultural heritage sites in Croatia. These trips included seeing the castle of Kapitol, Croatia, an ongoing excavation of a hilltop site, and swimming in the Drava river, which borders Hungary.
After returning to the lodge everyday, we would spend an hour cleaning bones. Occasionally, we would have an evening lecture on Croatian history, regional archaeology, or a similar topic.
Me after a day of excavation
Me holding a mammoth tooth on a weekend tour
