This summer we are excavating in three grids, Grids 38, 51 and 47. In addition to the work in those grids we are running several other projects worthy of mention. I even hope to get some guest posts from some of the scholars and students doing the extra projects. We are near the end of a 5 year long quest to sort and mark millions of Persian period pottery sherds in preparation for the publication of this material. Michael Toffolo is running a soil chemistry project otherwise known as micro-archaeology. (I'm not always sure what it is he does -- exactly -- but it sounds really cool.) For several seasons Dr. Steve Moshier from Wheaton College has been here during the summers doing a core-sampling project. This year he also did some work along the beach at the southern end of the site where significant storm damage had made a large cut in the cliffside. Two stalwart students, David and Jake, helped Dr. Moshier in his efforts to draw and interpret the material. Dr. Moshier has promised me a guest post. In the meantime, here is a couple of pictures to tide you over.
While they were working on South Beach it wasn't uncommon to see David and Jake walking back, as "quickly as they could", toward the bus with the ladder balanced on their shoulders. Dr. Moshier would usually be trailing behind them pushing a wheelbarrow as quickly as he could lamenting the absence of more minions, I mean students.
Hard at work.
Dr. Master climbed the ladder to take a look at the dirt. It is not often we get to see such brilliant colors, when the stratigraphy practically pops!
I take these for smiles of satisfaction and why not? After several weeks of work on the cut, standing in the hot sun with the breeze slinging sand at them all day long, I think they have more than earned their smiles of satisfaction!
Coming soon, a guest post from Dr. Moshier!