Field School - Week 3

While I was in the lab Monday, those who were out in the field continued to make progress.

I returned to the site Tuesday expecting to continue working in the same unit I had been. However, instead, I began excavation in the unit next to it; the untouched unit between the two that had already been started. Excavation of the first 2 levels went relatively quickly. This is because we were working on an incline and actually only had to excavate on the highest side of the unit.

While I had been away on Monday work had also begun on the next unit in line on the exterior side of the embankment. By the end of the day Tuesday we had 4 active units. Here is a view from the interior end.

I should probably clarify some terminology at this point. Each 2m X 2m square is termed a "unit." Each unit has it's own unique designator. The unit in the foreground above is Unit A. This is the unit I first started digging in. Next in line is Unit B, where I started working Tuesday. Beyond that are Units C & D, at the crest of the embankment.

In this photo Sharon is taking final depth measurements for Unit A while Adrienne (seated) records the data. For the time being, Unit A is as deep as it is going to get. The goal now is to bring Units B thru D down to that depth.

The following is a view from the opposite end of the trench.

From this angle, Unit D is now in the foreground. Unit C is immediately behind it, at the same level. The dividing line between them is at the point where you see proturberences on each side of the trench. These are termed "bulks." If you look back through the photos you may be able to see that the units are outlined in string. These strings are tied to metal pins driven into the ground. The bulks are those points at which the pins are located. These points are excavated around so that the pins stay anchored in place.

Work continued on Units B thru D on Wednesday. By the end of the day, this is where we stood.

On Thursday we expanded the operation by opening up the remaining 2 units, Units E and F, in the ditch on the exterior side of the embankment. These units are only half the size of the others, being 1m x 2m. Also, we will be excavating these in 20cm increments as opposed to 10cm increments as the others are. These are being excavated a bit differently primarily because we have a different research objective for these 2 units.

With these we are more interested in learning about the soil development, or profile. We wish to gain an understanding of how the ditch was constructed by looking at how the soil layers are deposited.

By the end of Thursday, both Units E and F had been excavated through their first level and work had begun on the second. This is how they looked at that point.

I didn't stop to take any photos on Friday so have nothing to add in that regard. Essentially, the units look the same as they did on Thursday, only a little bit deeper. I can add, though, that work in Unit B has been halted, at least temporarily, so that we can focus more heavily on Units c and D.

Next week things are gonna change. We will be moving some personnel around to other areas. I have mentioned that we are digging in other spots as well but haven't talked about them yet. We will also be opening a couple of new units in a different part of the enclosure. I anticipate that I will be among those who get relocated. Not a bad thing. That will give me the opportunity to show more about the overall project.

And, while I've been talking about 'what' we are doing, I haven't really touched upon 'why' we are doing it. Nor have I talked about what we have found so far. Hopefully I can get into those issues next week as well.