Surveying and mapping, investigating the postholes.
Richard
Walter and Chris Jacomb examining the stratigraphy of the site.
On the fifth day of excavation the team set to work in the three excavation
areas (see the site excavation map). The directors focused upon surveying
and mapping the landscape surrounding Cooks Cove with the theodolite and with
GPS. Loose soil was brushed of area O12 (see site excavation map), and
the baulks were tidied to make ready for photography.
The next step was
to investigate the postholes that were uncovered the previous day. Archaeologists
approach features (such as postholes, ovens and pits) by excavating a half-section;
that is, half of the feature is excavated so that a vertical section through it
can be examined. The feature can then be understood in three dimensions.
Half-sectioning
posthole features in area O12.
Four of the O12
postholes were half-sectioned today. They were revealed to be quite shallow. Some
progress was made through Layer 5 in this area, and several interesting obsidian
artefacts were recovered.
Meanwhile, work in the second eastern excavation
square (O11-east) was progressing through the layer of mixed fill that separates
the earlier and later occupations of the site. The fill was excavated in several
"spits" (arbitrary levels) each about 20 cm deep. By the end of the
day, the surface of Layer 5 (the earlier occupation layer) had just been revealed.
Left:
Excavation of the upper level of Layer 4 Right: Cleaning the surface of Layer
4 after excavation iof upper layers.
Oven
stones removed from excavation of oven
The excavation
of the oven in square (O11-west) was completed today, and a large number of oven
stones (see picture) were removed. The area was carefully cleaned down to check
for any other features at the level of the oven. None were present, so the excavators
began to remove the top of layer four in this area.
