Day 1- I'm Stuck with Two Idiots
That's a bad way to start these blogs, but oh well! Now, we arrived here at the London excavation site a couple hours ago; we drove here and then got right to work. I'm surprised can even type this; I'm so tired from everything we did. The rest of the team are awesome, btw (can I use this? does this sound unprofessional?) .
However, my partners, Lucas and Samuel (he insists on being called S. D.- it's a nuisance) are less than cooperative. They seem to be exact opposites, can't get along on anything, can't agree on anything, and, to make matters worse, they have to share a room at the hotel we're staying in for this whole episode. They are going to end up killing each other.
Also, they seem bent on beating each other at whatever they do, so they're occupying the same little space, trying to outdo something. I decided to work this to my advantage and got a larger section to work with and excavate, and a wonderful mini-team. The other two think they can do everything by themselves. Idiots I tell you.
However, my partners, Lucas and Samuel (he insists on being called S. D.- it's a nuisance) are less than cooperative. They seem to be exact opposites, can't get along on anything, can't agree on anything, and, to make matters worse, they have to share a room at the hotel we're staying in for this whole episode. They are going to end up killing each other.
Also, they seem bent on beating each other at whatever they do, so they're occupying the same little space, trying to outdo something. I decided to work this to my advantage and got a larger section to work with and excavate, and a wonderful mini-team. The other two think they can do everything by themselves. Idiots I tell you.
Day 3- 11: 27 AM- Artifact 1
We'd been excavating the same exact site since Day 1, and thought nothing would be found. However, about 45 minutes ago, we found a sandal. That's right, an actual sandal.
Methods-
The people who had been working before had already removed much of the dirt with trowels. (I got a picture of it during Day 1 when they had gone to eat lunch. Those giant bulks were just rocks- nothing that special, only good for dating the sandal.)
Methods-
The people who had been working before had already removed much of the dirt with trowels. (I got a picture of it during Day 1 when they had gone to eat lunch. Those giant bulks were just rocks- nothing that special, only good for dating the sandal.)
Day 2, went the same, but towards the end of the day, one of my mini-team team member had used a soil core on the area I had focused on. He had found a significant soil change, so we started to be more careful, using smaller trowels, and eventually brushes and dustpans to remove soil.
When we found found the sandal wedged into the dirt, we used small tongue depressors to dig it out, first in a large block of earth that we later chipped away at with wooden tongue depressors.
Day 3- today. Me and one other member started to dig out the little details on the sandal with toothpicks, using utmost care until the sandal was clean! We pictured it and sealed it away safely. (Samuel/S. D., I don't really care, and Lucas have been grumpier than usual.)
From now on, this will be the exact method used to find every artifact found unless otherwise stated. I was the first to get results using this method, so I have set the precedent.
When we found found the sandal wedged into the dirt, we used small tongue depressors to dig it out, first in a large block of earth that we later chipped away at with wooden tongue depressors.
Day 3- today. Me and one other member started to dig out the little details on the sandal with toothpicks, using utmost care until the sandal was clean! We pictured it and sealed it away safely. (Samuel/S. D., I don't really care, and Lucas have been grumpier than usual.)
From now on, this will be the exact method used to find every artifact found unless otherwise stated. I was the first to get results using this method, so I have set the precedent.
More about the sandal-
There was minimal "stitching" (if it can be called that) on the shoe; therefore we can tell that it was made out of one single piece of leather. It's similar to other footwear that has been found around southern UK, so the shoes must have been in style around this time. Judging by the all the loops and decorative strings, it was probably not a soldier's shoe. It is also relatively small, so they probably belonged to a woman.
Since the shoe was made of leather, that means that the Roman and Britons had animals to spare- animals specifically parted for their leather. Considering that the Britons had the largest population of deer as compared to their other wildlife, the leather was probably made from deer.
What this meant about daily life-
The shoe was in fair condition, so the female owner didn't run or move about much; this suggests that she had a fairly calm life, was well off, and wasn't a slave. If she were one, however, she would have been a domestic slave who had been treated well (since her shoes were not overly scuffed, she hadn't run away or been forced into any precarious positions).
There was minimal "stitching" (if it can be called that) on the shoe; therefore we can tell that it was made out of one single piece of leather. It's similar to other footwear that has been found around southern UK, so the shoes must have been in style around this time. Judging by the all the loops and decorative strings, it was probably not a soldier's shoe. It is also relatively small, so they probably belonged to a woman.
Since the shoe was made of leather, that means that the Roman and Britons had animals to spare- animals specifically parted for their leather. Considering that the Britons had the largest population of deer as compared to their other wildlife, the leather was probably made from deer.
What this meant about daily life-
The shoe was in fair condition, so the female owner didn't run or move about much; this suggests that she had a fairly calm life, was well off, and wasn't a slave. If she were one, however, she would have been a domestic slave who had been treated well (since her shoes were not overly scuffed, she hadn't run away or been forced into any precarious positions).
We dated it-
Using the Law of Superposition, we knew that soil around it had been older than the soil before it, where some animal remains had been found. They were brown bear bones- just a bit of the jaw with two or three grains of teeth hanging on- and of course, those poor animals had already gone extinct. Since they were above the sandal, the sandal had to be older.
Some of my better trained members did more soil tests and carbon dating. Dizzying amounts of carbon dating! The first test was too vague so we had to compare the sandal artifact to a calibration curve of how carbon's concentration should wane off.
Finally, we got the date. Either early 2nd century, or late, late, 1st century. The Emperor of Rome at the time could range from Vespasian (69- 79 AD) all the way up to Hadrian (117- 138 AD). It can't be specified since we haven't found coins yet.
Using the Law of Superposition, we knew that soil around it had been older than the soil before it, where some animal remains had been found. They were brown bear bones- just a bit of the jaw with two or three grains of teeth hanging on- and of course, those poor animals had already gone extinct. Since they were above the sandal, the sandal had to be older.
Some of my better trained members did more soil tests and carbon dating. Dizzying amounts of carbon dating! The first test was too vague so we had to compare the sandal artifact to a calibration curve of how carbon's concentration should wane off.
Finally, we got the date. Either early 2nd century, or late, late, 1st century. The Emperor of Rome at the time could range from Vespasian (69- 79 AD) all the way up to Hadrian (117- 138 AD). It can't be specified since we haven't found coins yet.
Day 9- 3: 58- Artifact 5
They were making a fool of me weren't they! Finding, like, three straight artifacts in, like, a couple of days. I had to get back my reputation.... and while I admit it was a bit childish to take their site, I needed to! And, well it payed off!
My excavation method-
Was just like before. The two bickering idiots had made such little excavation on their shared site; no wonder I had been the first to find something. Anywho, after digging away with my lil' trowel, I had come across a little gold-ish colored lump. And lo and behold it was this beauty!
I dug away at the sides a bit more before finally using more tongue depressors and thinner, smaller, wooden picks (a bit like the skewers used at barbecues) to take out the mud on the delicate features. Sadly, a small piece of the blue shard fell away, but I collected it and placed it in the same container as the brooch.
What this meant about daily life-
The people were fairly well off. Not only were items like this one very expensive (the color blue and purple on it being very expensive dyes and difficult to come by in nature), they were also used for 'special occasions'. To have more than one nice brooch brought us back to the thought of the wealth of the family.
The dating of this brooch-
Most likely, this brooch was a gift. Brooches like this one are hard to come by in Britain and are very expensive, as said before; cities in Rome's coast were big exporters of glass and trinkets such as the brooch. A larger quantity means lower prices, ergo the brooch was probably bought in a Roman city, maybe even Alexandria, and then given to the family by a visiting friend.
However, the brooch also appears to be older, more used, and the carbon-14 concentration is slightly lower than the norm and lower than the other artifact's amount. therefore, this brooch has to be older. It was probably highly in fashion during the reign of Otho (69 AD) to Nerva (98 AD).
Was just like before. The two bickering idiots had made such little excavation on their shared site; no wonder I had been the first to find something. Anywho, after digging away with my lil' trowel, I had come across a little gold-ish colored lump. And lo and behold it was this beauty!
I dug away at the sides a bit more before finally using more tongue depressors and thinner, smaller, wooden picks (a bit like the skewers used at barbecues) to take out the mud on the delicate features. Sadly, a small piece of the blue shard fell away, but I collected it and placed it in the same container as the brooch.
What this meant about daily life-
The people were fairly well off. Not only were items like this one very expensive (the color blue and purple on it being very expensive dyes and difficult to come by in nature), they were also used for 'special occasions'. To have more than one nice brooch brought us back to the thought of the wealth of the family.
The dating of this brooch-
Most likely, this brooch was a gift. Brooches like this one are hard to come by in Britain and are very expensive, as said before; cities in Rome's coast were big exporters of glass and trinkets such as the brooch. A larger quantity means lower prices, ergo the brooch was probably bought in a Roman city, maybe even Alexandria, and then given to the family by a visiting friend.
However, the brooch also appears to be older, more used, and the carbon-14 concentration is slightly lower than the norm and lower than the other artifact's amount. therefore, this brooch has to be older. It was probably highly in fashion during the reign of Otho (69 AD) to Nerva (98 AD).
Day 13- 7: 42 AM- Artifact 6
I can't believe we found this yesterday! I am on a roll! Those two silly boys can't compete with me! Sure, I had to move since those boys were jealous, but I found this incredible little work.
It is so pretty!
My method of excavation-
I decided to go to a different location entirely. It was 200- 300 yards from where those two buffoons were. Total risk. Luckily, I got my mini-team and we got trowels and wheelbarrows upon wheelbarrows of dirt outta there.
We got to the point where the soil layer that almost all of the other artifacts had been dug up. I was a bit nervous- had I missed some? Had I destroyed some? Had I completely messed up in picking my location? I had some of my assistants sift through the soil we had dug up.
Apparently we didn't need to, because we came across this beauty! I brushed of the soil with a painters brush, went back and used finer brushes once I got closer to the oil lamp's surface. Finally I picked away with toothpicks and (a bit embarrassing) old mascara brushes that had been thoroughly cleaned.
What this meant about daily life-
The use of the oil lamp is pretty obvious. It was used for light. But since the oil lamp was deeper and wasn't near any remnants of buildings, the story it tells is a bit peculiar. Either it had been washed to it's position, buried on purpose, or someone had dropped it. The most likely case is that it had been washed down by the river that had flooded the site area in the first place.
This boils down to the lamp having come from higher ground, or having been washed away by somewhere further off. This shows the extent of the Roman Empire and its trade system.
Dating it-
It was older than some of the other artifacts when we compared it's carbon- 14 concentration to them. However, it was nearly the same amount as the brooch that I uncovered. This would mean that it would have been around Otho (69 AD) to Nerva (98 AD).
I decided to go to a different location entirely. It was 200- 300 yards from where those two buffoons were. Total risk. Luckily, I got my mini-team and we got trowels and wheelbarrows upon wheelbarrows of dirt outta there.
We got to the point where the soil layer that almost all of the other artifacts had been dug up. I was a bit nervous- had I missed some? Had I destroyed some? Had I completely messed up in picking my location? I had some of my assistants sift through the soil we had dug up.
Apparently we didn't need to, because we came across this beauty! I brushed of the soil with a painters brush, went back and used finer brushes once I got closer to the oil lamp's surface. Finally I picked away with toothpicks and (a bit embarrassing) old mascara brushes that had been thoroughly cleaned.
What this meant about daily life-
The use of the oil lamp is pretty obvious. It was used for light. But since the oil lamp was deeper and wasn't near any remnants of buildings, the story it tells is a bit peculiar. Either it had been washed to it's position, buried on purpose, or someone had dropped it. The most likely case is that it had been washed down by the river that had flooded the site area in the first place.
This boils down to the lamp having come from higher ground, or having been washed away by somewhere further off. This shows the extent of the Roman Empire and its trade system.
Dating it-
It was older than some of the other artifacts when we compared it's carbon- 14 concentration to them. However, it was nearly the same amount as the brooch that I uncovered. This would mean that it would have been around Otho (69 AD) to Nerva (98 AD).