Allan Wolfrum Intern Blog
My name is Allan Wolfrum and I spent early
January to March as an archaeology intern in 2016. I’ve learned an incredible
amount of Virgin Islands history and about life during the historic and
prehistoric periods. The majority of my work here was processing and cataloging
artifacts collected during excavations and surveys at Cinnamon Bay and the
Rustenburg Plantation areas. I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with stone
tools, shell, and ceramic types spanning the entire occupation of the islands.
Folks hard at work in the Lab while visitors enjoy the
archaeological exhibits. Additionally, working in
the lab, I had the pleasure of interacting with visitors and answering any
questions they might have regarding archaeology in the park. This public
engagement at the Cinnamon Bay archaeology lab has been a phenomenal exposure
to true public archaeology and the power that the lab holds as an educational
and operational facility.
Furthering our mission to educate, I was
lucky enough to join park archaeologist Ken Wild on one of his Friends of the
Park boat tour fundraiser events. I assisted Ken in displaying objects and
answering questions that tour members might have, and enjoyed the history
lesson on the peopling of the Virgin Islands and St. John in particular. This
was a great time, and illustrated the kinds of public archaeology that can be
enjoyable, exciting, and engaging.
I also had the chance to participate in an
underwater survey that recovered both historic and prehistoric artifacts. Using
snorkels and an underwater camera, Ken and I swam transects to map, monitor,
and collect materials from what was once a Taino site and an African village of
those enslaved here, now underwater due to beach erosion. Getting a taste of
maritime archaeology was fantastic, and exposed a whole new world of possibilities
in the field.
My time on the islands was short, even
camping went by quickly and I miss them already. I can’t stop thinking about
how much I learned so quickly, the fantastic professionals I had a chance to
work with, and stunning beauty of Cinnamon Bay. Hiking, snorkeling, and swimming
preoccupied most of my time, but working was the most fun—exploring and
discovering the material culture of St. John—on land and underwater.
