“We found so many items — coins, dice, beads — but I didn’t think we would find something that was part of an actual structure,” she says.
They also discovered hundreds of animal bone fragments, including an unusually large number of equine shards. “We found evidence of many more horses than we thought,” she says, “which triggered a bunch of questions, like what kind of people were visiting the castle.”
You can learn a lot from bones, says Soderberg, whose archaeological specialty is zooarchaeology, the analysis of faunal (animal) remains. Faunal bones can paint a surprisingly detailed picture of diet, agricultural processes, climate, and even the economy, he says.
As Margo learned archaeological skills, she gained some everyday life skills as well. She learned how to get around in another country, and how to shop and cook on a budget.
She also soaked in the local atmosphere. “The owner of the island, who was a soap opera actor at one time, invited everyone to a pub full of older Irish guys singing folk songs,” Margo says. “I even got up and danced.”
The experience solidified her plans to pursue a career in zooarchaeology. “This career is more accessible than you would think,” she says.
Soderberg agrees, pointing to examples of recent Denison graduates working as archaeologists, surveying potential sites for energy companies and other proposed developments. Every time federal funding is part of a development project, he says, an archaeological assessment is required aspart of an environmental impact survey.
But he confesses he’s worried that he may have ruined (pun intended) his students for future archaeological projects. “Because it’s the most interesting site I’ve been on in 30 years!”
Fortunately, Soderberg received funding to return to McDermott’s Castle in 2023, with five Denison students joining him for another unforgettable adventure.