Molly Brooks-Jennings
July 5, 2026

Archaeology is dirty, dusty, and sweaty. You end the day with an impressive face contour and a golden tan of dirt. It is a highlight of the experience—second only to washing it all off!

About a 5 minute walk along the river from our camp, at the base of a small rapid, was a perfect swimming hole: almost five feet deep. It allowed the ease of fully dunking yourself in the slowly rushing water to wash off the day’s work. To top it off, there was a grassy river front lawn for luxurious lounging post-dip.

One day, we noticed the river was running brown. Looking up stream, we saw a family washing a herd of sheep in the bathing pool! We learned the family was washing their sheep in preparation for shearing. This marked the end of our dreamy bathing pool—it smelled fiercely of sheep afterward. But perfect swimming holes must be shared with all who need to wash off an amazing amount of dirt.