Diary of the ECDI Field School Mornington Peninsula 4-19 Feb 2023

The Mornington Peninsula field school for 2023, for two weeks, working across two field sites, is underway.

Day 1
A profound professional and personal learning experience for a great group of students. Co-run with Heritage Insight & Bunurong Land Council. Off we go! Follow us on the journey. Field school led by ECDI researchers Ben Shaw and Catherine Frieman.

Day 2
Up and at it! A Welcome to Country and Tanderrum by Uncle Alvin, with a walk through both sites. The 2022 Cape Schanck excavation was exposed and ready to expand. In the afternoon, Simon Coxe gives a talk on field notebooks.

Day 3-5
The students are working well together. At Schanck remains of the 1860s stables are being revealed. At Fingal, past Aboriginal land use carefully recorded. Evening talks by Heritage Insight and Latrobe Uni.

Day 6
Students are making GREAT progress. At Schanck, cobble floor & walls appearing. At Fingal, shell midden revealed! Thanks to Dr Stewart we know Aboriginal communities were here 4000 years ago. What will the midden tell us?

Day 7-8
“What have you found?” Saturday we had some young visitors come to site, excited to see the shell and stone tools being recorded in the ground. Sunday, a day off, a trip to Point Nepean. Refreshed and ready for a new week!

Day 9
The student teams swapped sites today to get a range of experience. They have recorded several shell midden deposits from past meals. Afternoon, a chat from the Director and Registrar of First Peoples State Relations.

Day 10-11
A moment in time. The team have done an AMAZING job at recording where someone once sat and flaked a stone tool. Last years excavation also reopened, with a visit from ECDI’s Simon Haberle and Sam Passmore.

Day 12
What lies beneath, the 1860s stables and store at Cape Schanck revealed, with a whole lot of surprises! In the evening, a talk by Jeremy Smith, Principal Archaeologist at Heritage Victoria.

Day 13-14
THATS A WRAP! Final recording & backfilling on Sat, & a long drive home on Sun. Thanks to Heritage Insight, Bunurong, First Peoples State Relations, Heritage Victoria, Latrobe, Parks Vic & Shire Council for their support.