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Monday, October 4, 2010
wrapping up
The end of the 2010 excavations has arrived all too rapidly - of course, this isn't the end of the work... it merely marks the transition to the analysis and writing-up stages which will attempt to make sense of what we have found. But a big thanks to everyone for putting in so much effort and making TARDIS 2010 such an enjoyable and good-humoured experience.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Jedi Council
This is the final result of a number of artefacts found in Square A1. We conducted a bit of a reconstruction/restoration project today, which involved Zac gluing himself to the table at least 7 times. It is a Mesoamerican Effigy Vessel, so the next part will involve getting a relative date/sub-region from it, so that will be a bit of fun.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Fashion in the Field
Horace: Today we have the dubious privilege of interviewing one of this year’s frontrunners in Fashion in the Field, Jester. Jester, could you describe to our online readership your retro 1980s look?
Jester: Well Horace, clearly OHS is a big part of working on site but you shouldn’t let it cramp your style. Take, for instance, my designer safety goggles…
H: Yes, Jester, I’m sure we’re all dying to learn where you acquired those jewels.
J: In a moment of light-fingered fantastic at a rave, I spotted someone sporting these beasties, and I decided I simply must have them. Fashion is a cut-throat industry, you know.
H: You mean…?
J: Next question.
H: We noticed the length of your shorts artfully highlighted the radiance of your orange socks. Could you enlighten us as to the decision making behind this?
J: OHS tends to focus on the body core, but I’ve always had an uncommon attraction to my feet. Socks have been relegated for too long to the dustbin of archaeology. My vision is to enlighten the archaeological world of the endless possibilities that socks can offer. In fact, my pet project is a new line, made exclusively from my own facial hair, guaranteed resistant to the hot Australian sun, and… with complimentary steelcaps.
H: I’m sure you all benefited from that exclusive excerpt from none other than the Jester. Looking forward to next week – the Ponce who would be Mexican, and Seven Super Secrets guaranteed to help you find the archaeologist within.
Skeleton in the hearth - NE quadrant
Sunday appeared sunnier than it was due to the chance for Los Increibles to finally knock out the hearth. The boys (being boys!) flocked after David when he mentioned looking for a ‘big pick’ and all enjoyed the demolition. Before removing the hearth, a time-consuming excavation all around the hearth had been necessary to fully expose it. The soil under the hearth was similar to that in front, which had yielded no artifacts, so we decided to use picks rather than trowels to remove it… only to find a bone as we began brushing it clean for a photo.
This prompted a vague memory from Jo, of a tradition in England of burying a cat under the hearth for luck. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but we had somewhat of a bone to pick as the fine tools came out and we delicately exposed more of the skeleton. We were specifically trying to determine if it was articulated (indicating buried whole) or if the bones were all jumbled – one source described such cats as being mummified, so we kept our eyes peeled for any skin.
Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones, having carefully revealed the stratigraphy of a dirt floor overlying a clay base excavated the post, the remaining part of the floor and the clay base rapidly given the lack of finds. The only possible finds were some squarish lumps of wood and a yellow stone. The floor in their squares seems consistent with that in our squares, so we now have a valuable guide as to what lies beneath our excavation. The Rolling Stones have now ceased excavation in order to examine their finds, while tomorrow Los Increibles will lift out the skeleton.
All enquiries regarding missing cats should be directed to the Archaeology Department, La Trobe University.
This prompted a vague memory from Jo, of a tradition in England of burying a cat under the hearth for luck. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but we had somewhat of a bone to pick as the fine tools came out and we delicately exposed more of the skeleton. We were specifically trying to determine if it was articulated (indicating buried whole) or if the bones were all jumbled – one source described such cats as being mummified, so we kept our eyes peeled for any skin.
Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones, having carefully revealed the stratigraphy of a dirt floor overlying a clay base excavated the post, the remaining part of the floor and the clay base rapidly given the lack of finds. The only possible finds were some squarish lumps of wood and a yellow stone. The floor in their squares seems consistent with that in our squares, so we now have a valuable guide as to what lies beneath our excavation. The Rolling Stones have now ceased excavation in order to examine their finds, while tomorrow Los Increibles will lift out the skeleton.
All enquiries regarding missing cats should be directed to the Archaeology Department, La Trobe University.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Jedi Council Update.
Thursday 16th September:
Today started out with making sure our levels were correct from the excavation on Sunday.
With this done, work started on removing the blackened/charcoal layer to the plaster floor beneath.
The floor was very dilapidated in square A1 and was very difficult to keep intact. It had some small sherds of terracotta, that appear to be consistent with earlier finds.
Not to mention, somebody, not naming names (cough* Zac), inadvertently caused a cave-in on the northern wall, removing a broken bottle from situ.
Square B1 was a bit deeper and had a heavy concentration of plant roots. With few artefacts uncovered and the end of the day drawing to a close. An unusual excavation technique was employed (I am unaware of any precedent for this), we have dubbed it 'The Rolling of the Turf' and it worked a treat.
Having exposed the whole Mesoamericanesque plaster floor, we covered it over with a tarp and let it stay until next week, when we make our final clean-up.
Today started out with making sure our levels were correct from the excavation on Sunday.
With this done, work started on removing the blackened/charcoal layer to the plaster floor beneath.
The floor was very dilapidated in square A1 and was very difficult to keep intact. It had some small sherds of terracotta, that appear to be consistent with earlier finds.
Not to mention, somebody, not naming names (cough* Zac), inadvertently caused a cave-in on the northern wall, removing a broken bottle from situ.
Square B1 was a bit deeper and had a heavy concentration of plant roots. With few artefacts uncovered and the end of the day drawing to a close. An unusual excavation technique was employed (I am unaware of any precedent for this), we have dubbed it 'The Rolling of the Turf' and it worked a treat.
Having exposed the whole Mesoamericanesque plaster floor, we covered it over with a tarp and let it stay until next week, when we make our final clean-up.
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