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John Hollenhorst ReportingWhen a kid says he knows what he wants to be when he grows up, you don't always believe it. But in the case of a 13-year old Holladay boy, you'd better believe it. He's already well on the way, thanks to what he dug up in his backyard.
It all started because Abram Sorensen has a cool backyard any kid would die for. Down through the brush, along the banks of Millcreek, there's evidence people lived here before.
Abram Sorensen, Holladay: "I started seeing things poking out of the ground, got a little curious, and I started digging."
For three years now, he's been digging and scraping. His first major find was metal pieces that fit together into an old door lock.
Abram Sorenson: "I was really excited. I'm like, 'who, why is this stuff here? Is this a homestead? Is this a dump? What is it?'"
If those sound like pretty scientific questions for a 13-year old, welcome to Abram Sorensen's world. He now has a collection of more than 10,000 old objects. And he has two excavations underway on a hillside a few blocks from home.
He started sharing his finds with professional archaeologist Ron Rood when he was 10.
Ron Rood, Asst. State Archaeologist: "I was very impressed with the work that he'd been doing, especially the fact that he'd been documenting what he was finding."
Rood taught him to excavate like a professional, maximizing the scientific value. Abram's notebooks now document two waste dumps, dating to the 1870's and the early 1900's, fueling his scientific curiosity.
Abram Sorensen: "What can we find out about who lived here and why?"
So now he's a veteran in archaeology at the age of 13, and on his way up in the profession.
Ron Rood: "I like working with Abram and I'm going to be nice to him because I'm pretty sure I'll be working for him some day."
So, what does Abram want to do when he grows up?
Abram Sorensen: "I want to become an archaeologist in Central America, studying the Mayan-Olmec culture."
And why? Well, he answers like a 13-year old: because it's the funnest thing anyone can do.
Abram has already converted his interest into success at the science fair. His project won a divisional statewide title. First place, of course.
