Colors of the Moon – Classifying Apollo Lunar Core Samples
Between July 1969 and December 1972, six two-man Apollo crews landed on the Moon, fulfilling President Kennedy’s goal of “landing a man on the Moon before this decade is out, and returning him safely to Earth,” and opening a door … Continue reading
Soil Excavations with the Maya Research Program
What is the Maya Research Program? The Maya Research Program (MRP) is a non-profit organization (501 C3) that sponsors archaeological and ethnographic research in Middle America. Each summer since 1992, MRP has supported archaeological research in northwestern Belize and ethnographic … Continue reading
Rusty Soils in the Boreal Forest
What Marsala Means to an Environmental Consultant The color Munsell 5R 4/6, as well as many similar reddish colors, often indicate oxidation or rust – the presence of iron oxide – in Boreal Forest soils. The presence of these deep … Continue reading
Musing About Marsala: Do Archaeologists Have a Color of the Year?
My first reaction to Pantone’s announcement about the color of the year, “Marsala” was “delicious!” The name stirred fond recollections of a few nice evenings. … Continue reading
What Scientists Think of the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year: Marsala
Color lovers who follow the latest color trends would know that Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala, also known as Pantone 18-1438. For Pantone, “Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue … Continue reading
Understanding Brown Soils: Why Archaeologists Love Munsell
A fairly common idea about archaeology is that the goal is “to dig up stuff”—bits of pottery, bones, perhaps a stone tool or a hand-wrought nail. While this is indeed part of what archaeologists do, what we look for, in … Continue reading
Mad Scientist – Assessing Soils for Wetland Mitigation Sites
By Brent Macolley, Environmental Scientist At MAD Scientist & Associates, our primary focus is ecological and wetland consulting projects. These include wetland determinations and delineations, permitting, ecological surveys and habitat characterization, as well as restoration and mitigation projects for both streams … Continue reading
Interview with Leandra Cleveland, Society of Wetland Scientists
Tell us about the Society of Wetland Scientists The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) is an international organization made up of over 3,500 members whose mission is to advance the wetland profession from a scientific and academic viewpoint. It is … Continue reading
“Soiled” – Punk Rock, Archaeology, and the Munsell Soil Color Book: A Love Song
I’m an archaeologist, and I’m a musician. My archaeological travels have taken me to the Etruscan sanctuary of Poggio Civitate in Tuscany, to the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece, to a Creole farm on the banks of the Mississippi, to … Continue reading
#123 Munsell: An Archaeologists Perspective
CRM Archaeologist, Chris Webster, talks about using Munsell in the field for analysis. I first heard of the Munsell Book of Colors when I was at field school in Tanzania. The trip was organized by Earthwatch and we were digging … Continue reading
