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The goal of this expedition is to help experts reconstruct the complex past of the ancient city Populonia as fully as possible. Above is a photo of myself, my sister and two other of the Earthwatch volunteers on the first day of the excavation. During this excavation participants will help in the following areas: excavating artifacts, mapping excavation sites, recording, analyzing, and preserving artifacts. “The past is not simply the past, but a prism through which the subject filters his own changing self-image.” -- Doris Kearns Goodwin Just landed in Pisa for the Expedition Our First Day The first day of the expedition was an opportunity to meet the rest of the Earthwatch team and settle into our accommodations. We are staying the Poggio All’Angello resort located in the small town Populonia a few miles away from the excavation site. Populonia is located on the promontory of Piombino on the Southern edge of the gulf of Baratti in the Tuscan coast. It is famous for it’s beautiful blue sea and it’s archaeological sites. On our drive through the town we passed wineries, local shops, and encountered numerous families. Meeting the rest of the Earthwatch team before embarking on the dig together was incredibly fun. For one team member, this is his third Earthwatch trip. He previously went on an Earthwatch volunteer trip in the Artic to study climate change and Costa Rica to see how climate change affects mosquitoes' mating patterns. During his trip in Costa Rica a tarantula fell on him in his sleep. But he was so exhausted from working that he simply pushed the tarantula off of his bed and continued sleeping. The other member is on a month long sabbatical from work. He thought this would be a wonderful experiential learning opportunity.