EXCAVATION AND THE TRENCHES
WHERE TO DIG?
…most important sites are not found by
archaeologists at all – instead they are found
accidentally
by
farmers,
quarrymen,
construction
workers,
or
aerial
photographers; underwater sites are
discovered by fishermen and divers; caves
have been found by potholers, children…and
even dogs. – PAUL BAHN
Unscramble the words to complete the passage.
Luck and ________ (cnceha) have played a large role in the
discovery of archaeological ________(esits).
Obvious sites
such as mounds, barrows and tells, and monumental structures
such as the Lion Gate at Mycenae have always been easy to
Tell: an artificial
mound consisting of
the accumulated
remains of one or
more ancient
settlements
locate and readily recognised. Natural forces such as erosion,
the action of the wind and the sea, drought and ___________
(odiongfl) may also lay bare an archaeological site; for example
a great storm at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands swept away
______ (snda) dunes and revealed a Stone Age village.
Human activities that involve ___________ (gidging) into the
ground have led to many accidental discoveries. This can
include activities like fishing, ploughing, digging a foundation for
a __________ (udinbgil) and so on. Sometimes, even the
digging of defensive walls or trenches during wartime can reveal important finds. Even
the use of aerial photography during WWI for _________ (itmyilar) purposes made
people realise the way planes and cameras could be used to find potential dig sites.
Some sites are found using ________ (ciannet) literature. Heinrich Schliemann, using
Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, found Troy. He also used the writings of Pausanias, an
ancient Greek _______ (avtrel) writer, to uncover a Grave Circle in Mycenae. Ancient
maps, ________ (lendegs), folklore and place names all give clues to the archaeologist
about what might once have existed and where it might be a good idea to dig.
INTO THE TRENCHES
A great deal of research and analysis is
carried out before the exact site is _______
(osechn). A site plan is drawn up in
consultation with a surveyor, and before the
real excavation begins trial trenches are dug
to select the _____ (esbt) place to dig.
Sit Mortimer Wheeler, early in the 20th century, was the first archaeologist to use the
BOX GRID system. Using this method, the site is _________ (idevdid) into squares or
boxes of a given size. Each square is numbered and then excavated, leaving a wall
(known as a BAULK) in between. Each baulk provides a vertical record of the layers
that
have
been
dug
through;
these
________ (yelars) are called strata and
each one is labelled, as is everything found
within them.
Stratigraphy, which _________ (ilvesnvo)
the study and interpretation of what has
been deposited in the layers of the earth,
is very important for dating finds.
The grid system is not always used. Open area excavation is a_________ (thomed) by
which the site is uncovered layer by layer from the top downward. In this method the
different strata are not revealed.
HOMEWORK (which you are no doubt very excited about):
Use the internet and/or library to find out how one of the following was
discovered and how luck/chance helped (write one paragraph):
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Palace of Knossos
The Mildenhall treasure
ACTIVITIES
A. Look at the line drawing on the previous page. Choose five different ‘characters’ in
the picture and number them from 1 to 5. Then write down what you think that person
is doing on the site and note any equipment they are using.
1) ___________________________________________________________
2) ___________________________________________________________
3) ___________________________________________________________
4) ___________________________________________________________
5) ___________________________________________________________
B. Explain what each of the following terms mean:
Baulk: _______________________________________________________
Strata: _______________________________________________________
Box grid system: ______________________________________________
Aerial Photography: ____________________________________________
C. What kind of activities can lead to accidental discoveries? ___________________
___________________________________________________________________
D. How do you think archaeologists use ancient literature to find sites?
_____________________________________________________________________
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COMPLETE YOUR HOMEWORK ON THE LINES
BELOW
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