Willeke Wendrich

MESSAGE

from the Director

I HAVE AT TImES wondered why our annual report is called Backdirt. For non-archaeologists, this term has little meaning, so in brief: backdirt is the sand, soil, or rocky matrix left behind after the digging is done, the soil has been sifted, and the samples and finds have been cataloged, studied, and stored. In most cases, backdirt then becomes backfill: it is put back in the hole, covering and protecting whatever ancient remains are left underfoot. For archaeologists, it has positive connotations. Dirt is a term of pride. A dirt archaeologist is the opposite of an armchair archaeologist. He or she is someone who is not afraid of physical labor, getting dusty and sweaty; someone who thinks through the point of a trowel or the hairs of a brush.

Yet archaeology is rapidly changing. Much of our work is now nondestructive: geophysical methods can map out what lies underground without actual digging. A slew of techniques for the analysis of excavated material allows greater insights from less material. Our emphasis has shifted from discovering objects and buildings to finding things out. Many archaeological finds and archives that were never published are worthy of finally being published, even if the original excavator has long since retired or passed away. So increasingly, dirt archaeologists are getting less dirty (although storerooms and archives can be pretty dusty) but are no less involved in the materiality of our discipline.

The back in Backdirt probably makes sense if we consider an annual report to be about looking back, but that’s the thing: we are equally looking forward. In this volume you will find out how local conflicts directly affect archaeological projects in Tigray (Ethiopia) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). On the brighter side, you will also read preliminary reports of recent fieldwork, much of which has been on hold for at least two years.

We are welcoming new cohorts of students in archaeology and conservation, and gradually the basement of the Fowler Building is becoming filled with voices again. I want to thank Greg Schachner, who served as chair of the Archaeology Program under very difficult circumstances, and to welcome Stephen Acabado as the new program chair. We also welcome new postdoctoral scholars, lecturers, and faculty members. Piphal Heng is a two-year postdoctoral scholar at the Cotsen Institute and the Program for Early Modern Southeast Asia. Greg Woolf, the Ronald J. Mellor Distinguished Professor of Ancient History, has joined the core faculty of the Cotsen Institute. Anya Dani is the inaugural director of community engagement and inclusive practice, as well as a lecturer in cultural heritage conservation for the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. The program is also strengthened by the arrival

Cotsen Institute Director Willeke Wendrich

of Thiago Sevilhano Puglieri, a professor in the Art History Department with a background in chemistry. Our website has more information in the news section.

With that, I come to the large amount of work dedicated to providing up-to-date information on our website (https:// ioa.ucla.edu) concerning news, special events, and the accomplishments of staff, students, and faculty. Many times, I hear, “I was not aware of that,” while the fact in question featured on our website recently. Emails that draw attention to new entries are circulated regularly but are probably deleted rather than read. That’s understandable considering the avalanche that fills our inboxes, but please take a moment and check our website and its archive now and again to remain up to date. For its content, and that of Backdirt, we are obviously dependent on your contributions, so please do not hesitate to forward anything noteworthy to Roz Salzman (rsalzman@ioa.ucla.edu) or Hans Barnard (nomads@ucla.edu).

The Covid-19 pandemic stopped almost all fieldwork in its tracks but also resulted in two very well-filled issues of Backdirt. These included important reflections on the world in general and on the disciplines of conservation and archaeology in particular. It seems that our forced pause was helpful in some aspects, but it was devastating for students in the midst of their research. Despite or because the summer of 2022 saw a return into the field for many of us, this issue of Backdirt is slightly slimmer than those from the previous two years. I do hope that it provides you with both information and inspiration.

Willeke Wendrich Director, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology