In our “What’s in your dig bag?” series, we asked working field archaeologists what they carry with them out in the field. We wanted to know what gear they love and what items might be unique to them.
Name: Morag M. Kersel
Position: Assistant Professor, Anthropology Department, DePaul University
Digging Since: 1989
Current projects (survey and excavation): Follow the Pots Project, Jordan and the Galilee Prehistory Project, Israel
Morag Kersel’s Dig Bag.
Morag Kersel in her T3 Tilley Hat.
What hat do you wear?
T3 Tilley Hat. I am famous for always wearing the same hat – a Tilley T3 but I add the bandana.
What trowel do you use?
WHS 4” wooden-handle. I’ve had the same trowels for 25+years, although I recently misplaced it and this summer is my first field season without my trusty WHS.
What’s in your bag?
Inside my North Face backpack, I have a smaller “bag of tricks” – everything I need for digging and drawing: foldup ruler, tape measure, some dental picks, a few paintbrushes, a small moleskine notebook, a silva compass CLQ, a plumb bob, clothes pegs, Staedtler mechanical pencils, Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers, and a sharpener, an old Swiss Army Knife, a first aid kit, and a metal clipboard.
New to my bag?
Lottie – the fossil hunter. The Special Edition ‘Gold Collection’ ‘Fossil Hunter’ Lottie doll is a collaboration with TrowelBlazers, an Anglo-American group of women archaeologists, palaeontologists and geologists.
A close up of Kersel’s dig bag with a better view of Lottie, the Beko gear Nose Guard, and the sunscreen.
Beko gear Nose Guard – Even though I’ve been vigilant about sunscreen, water, and hats for decades this winter I had a tumor removed from my nose – the result of 20+ years of sun exposure. I never want another needle in my nose and I now have a Beko gear nose guard. Developed for extreme weather protection my nose will never be exposed to the sun again.
Water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 – all day every day.
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