Distillations: Science + Culture + History

Where can you find a teacup, the molar of a goat, and an arrowhead all in one place? At an urban archaeology site, that’s where. This episode of Distillations goes underground, and reveals the fascinating worlds beneath our city shoes. First, we visit an artifact processing lab where volunteers are dusting off thousands of objects from a historic street in Philadelphia. Then we stop in on an excavation site alongside Interstate 95. Then, we'll talk to Doug Mooney, a senior archaeologist at URS corporation and the president of the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum, and Deirdre Kelleher, an archaeologist finishing her doctorate at Temple University. They describe their experiences with public archaeology, debunk a few of the field’s myths (no dinosaurs here, folks) and describe the unique process of digging in cities. SHOW CLOCK: 00:03 Introduction 01:05 After the dig: Artifact processing at Temple University 05:40 During the dig: Uncovering history along I-95 09:41 Interview with Deirdre Kelleher and Doug Moon