Conservative Showers in Archaeology

One of the effects of my town’s current societal shutdown has been an increase in outdoor activities such as walking around the neighborhood development. Most of us end up in socially distanced packs as we wind our way around this way and that. I often pass the time listening to conversations of some of those talkative little groups. A valuable exchange at times.

On one such walk a few days ago, I was listening to a woman exclaim how sad things are for so many disadvantaged people in other countries. I silently nodded in agreement to some of the things she espoused. But at one point she began to take this a bit too far in assigning her own expectations and values to other cultures. 

Yes, we do take for granted the hot showers that we can take any time we want. Yes, we do not truly appreciate that we can pick up a wide selection of foods from our local grocer almost any time we chose. These actions are just the tip of the iceberg of our mainstream American experience. Yet at what point do we draw the fairness line in comparing our culture to another’s? After all, we often have traveled down different roads.

At the base of our mainstream American experience though, we have to admit that we miss out on a lot of things associated with the bringing in of water to the house for the family to use or producing our own food. Growing up I have such fond memories of going out to the back forty, as my grandmother called it, and picking the vegetables and fresh fruit for our supper that evening. Or even racing my brother to the water pump out there to irrigate the fields.

One rule was that we never wasted water or other resources. Often times the neighboring families exchanged food items with one another. We had well-balanced and healthy meals (no chemical preservatives) which we hungrily devoured after a hard day’s work and play. Socializing with the ladies was done while preparing the meal and as we cleaned up afterwards. Then we would join the men on the front porch for more conversation or music. Those were great and valuable times.

In my once upon a time as an anthropologist, I spent twelve weeks on an archaeological dig in Northern Arizona. There I was reminded of those simpler times at my grandmother’s home. We worked and played hard. We had a cook that made meals from fresh produce and a wood stove. There was a generator that ran for only a couple of hours at night. When that shut down, it was lights out. And we were grateful for the much-needed slumber inside our tiny bunkhouse. But heaven forbid you had to use the bathroom after lights out… We used a buddy system, because of bears, and a flashlight to walk down the hill to the latrine. We learned how to truly appreciate.

At the end of the long, dusty day, we were permitted to shower. We learned quickly how to do this with courtesy in mind -- for the propane-heated water tank held only so much. The last two or three individuals usually had ice cold showers. Because we never knew who would be that unlucky soul, we learned how to rinse, shut off, lather, rinse, and dry off as quickly and efficiently as possible. Towards the end of the twelve weeks, nobody had to experience a cold shower.

Cooperation. Appreciation. Recognizing that the people around us are actually real people, with real histories and experiences that matter. Take an interest. Ask questions and learn. Do you think that we have moved so far away from acknowledging our shared humanity that we are not able to appreciate one another’s differences? 

We have to admit that we cannot assign our values to other individuals or societies. Even still we can assist one another while maintaining culturally appropriate boundaries. Some may desire a cold shower while others prefer it hot. For myself, I am a conservative. A traditionalist and a realist. I try not to waste. I like my showers cold in the summer and hot in the winter.