The choice between a trowel and a shovel on my first dig in New Mexico

Back in 2006 I had to pick between a standard trowel and a sharpshooter shovel for digging test pits. I went with the trowel cause it felt more precise but after 4 hours of scraping hard clay I really regretted it. Has anyone else found a tool that seemed right but totally let you down on a real dig?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.ryan3d ago

You mentioned how clay just laughs at trowels, and that is so true. I learned that lesson the hard way in New Mexico when my arm felt like it was going to fall off after two hours of scraping. The thing is, a trowel works great in soft sandy soil or garden dirt, but you hit one patch of caliche clay and it's basically useless. A sharpshooter shovel can at least chip away at hard ground and let you lever out big chunks. I think a lot of beginners pick a trowel because it looks like more careful archaeology, but sometimes you need to dig first and then screen for the fine stuff. Soil type really decides your tool, not just what feels right in your hand.

hollym123d ago

Read an article from the SAA bulletin that said sharpshooter shovels are better for hard soils. Makes sense now, clay just laughs at trowels. Picked the wrong tool for your conditions, happens to everyone.