| Entry: | Today exemplified that archaeological research does not proceed in a linear fashion. We laid out a new trench, attempting to connect the stratigraphy and temporal sequence of the TP excavations from a few years ago, the Mellaart excavations from many years ago, and the South area excavations which are ongoing. Then we had to take out the trench to do some tractor-run ground penetrating radar on it. Then we put it back in. We began by removing the first 5 cm of topsoil from it, at which point Ian suggested that the trench is too small to be effective.
It'll be great to have the higher resolution GPR data, and of course it's necessary and important to be continually re-evalutating, adjusting, and improving your methodology and approach. But there was something particularly painfully poetic about seeing those giant tractor treads grind over the space where moments before, a taut string trembled, outlining the promise of a brand new trench.
As far as I know, we're still undecided about the exact size, shape, and placement of this reincarnated trench for tomorrow. It will almost certainly be bigger, so we can get a wide perspective on what it is that we're seeing. And Izettin and I have got the drive (the drive of a tractor) to get going with it, after spending the day intimately familiarizing ourselves with the paperwork we're going to be filling out! |
