We were obviously strangers, and we entertained a lot of stares our first few nights there. We had to stay on good terms with the locals for a few reasons. First of all, we were keeping our camp, lab, and kitchen on land and buildings owned by the town. Simple courtesy told us that if the dig needed to return next year, then we had to be polite to these people. Second, we had to be careful about our findings when we spoke to the townspeople but still answer their queries politely.
Legends abound in that region that the Chinese miners left hoards of gold in their old cabins.
Archaeologists must interact with the people who inhabit the area they are researching. People tend to congregate in taverns after a hard day's work. I think that conversing with the locals is an integral part of the archaeologist's profession. Not only is it helpful for accomplishing research, but it is also conducive to continuing research in the future. Writing about last summer's dig has reminded me that I'd much prefer to be drawing maps while wearing sunblock, a Tilley hat, and field trousers, tripping over fallen trees and swatting mosquitoes.