Methodology

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Methodology

In CB 60 the standard method of excavation will be as follows. Soil will be picked with the small end of a pickax, broken into clumps, the soil will be sorted with trowels into buckets. These will be removed from the trench and dumped into a wheel barrow that will transport the soil to the dump site, located approximately 6 meters away from the southeast corner of the trench.

Any terracotta roofing tile found will be counted in bowls with an approximate diameter of 30 cm and a maximum depth of 8 cm. Once counted and recorded these tiles shall be discarded in a dump located 3 meters from the southeast corner of the trench. Any bulk ceramics or bone found will be counted on site and brought down to the magazzino in latte boxes, which are approximately 23x9x6 cm (~1 L), for cleaning and further study.

If any special finds are uncovered their coordinates and elevation will be recorded in relation to the master grid of the site. A plumbbob will be held over the find and the distance from the trench boundaries will be measured at right angles in order to determine the N-S and E-W coordinates. A plumbbob will also be held over the find

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in order to check the straightness of the tape that will interest a string affixed to the datum on a tree along the southern baulk at 26.14 mAE in relation to the origin. A line level will attached to the string to level it as it is extended over the find. All coordinates are connected with the master grid established in 1991 (see TT I, p. 3). Special finds are then sketched into the trench book on site and then sent down to the magazzino at the end of the day in small boxes for cleaning, analysis, and possible cataloging .

Close attention will be paid to the soil and its inclusions during excavations. Any changes in the soil will be noted in the trench book and the full extent of the soil boundaries will be found first, then a new locus will be measured, photographed, and recorded. The cleaning of the baulk-walls will occur periodically in order to keep the trench's baulk-walls clean so the stratigraphy of the soil can be clearly seen.

It is important to note that methods may change as the excavation proceeds, as the types and amounts of material found as well as the geology and topography of the trench ultimately determine the best excavation approach and method.