Closer to the goal

Sunday 8 July 2012

Artifacts excavated from CA and CB trenches

It's been another busy week at Poggio Civitate!

It’s become clear that our two exploratory trenches are producing a great deal of artifacts related to metalworking.  We are continuing to unearth a large quantity of slag, metals, including small fragments of iron and bronze, as well as crucible fragments and vitrified terracotta. Because of this, the two exploratory trenches were expanded, and several new trenches were opened. These trenches were opened in the hope of finding the eastern and western extent of the feature. All of the opened trenches are now adjoining using the horizontal excavation method.

Theresa Huntsman, Research and Catalogue Extraordinaire

Theresa, our catalog director, is working hard to keep up with the inflow of new artifacts. As soon as an artifact is conserved, our excavation director, Dr. Tuck, decides whether the artifact will be cataloged or repatriated. If Dr. Tuck chooses to catalog the artifact, it is immediately handed over to Theresa, who assigns the object a number, and adheres the number to the artifact in a discrete location using non-abrasive ink.  Teresa’s work is crucial to the excavation, as she is the organizational backbone and thus facilitates all effective research of Poggio Civitate.

Last weekend was the Medieval Festival in Murlo! It was an exciting mix of flame-throwers, archery, medieval costumes, food, and music. Everyone was able to get a taste of what life would have been like in medieval Murlo.

Archery at the Medieval Festival

Those of us who stuck around Vescovado to see the Medieval Festival had an entire weekend to explore the area. Tuscany is made up of beautiful rolling hills, some larger than others, which makes it an ideal location for hiking. There are several trails close to the excavation that take you through the forest to beautiful outlooks, adjoining cities, an old mining town, and many other interesting places. Many of us took to the trails to see the sights and afterwards jumped in the pool to soak up the sun and rest up for the upcoming week!

Definitions:

Crucible: A container that can withstand very high temperatures and is used in the production of metal and glass. The crucible fragments found here are typically pieces of terra-cotta with adhered metal slag.

Horizontal excavation method: Many adjoining trenches are opened and excavated at the same elevation to uncover large sections of a site. This method allows for a broader understanding of a site's layout and function

Repatriation: Returning uncovered artifacts to their original location

Signor Rubegni overlooking the countryside from the hotel pool

A Crazy Week!

Sunday 1 July 2012

Emily Frank conserving a large tile

Between excavation and Euro Cup finals, this week has been crazy!

We are still in the initial stages of excavation, and are thus only now reaching artifacts dateable to antiquity. In two adjoining exploratory trenches, we have recovered a good deal of metal slag, vitrified terracotta, and pottery intermixed with a mass of rocks in a linear formation. We are hopeful that the linear rock formation could be evidence for architectural foundations, though we are reserving judgment until further excavation.

Maggie Ramos conserving a tile

In conservation, our specialists Steve and Maggie have been working on artifacts as they enter the laboratory, as well as ongoing projects. Maggie is currently working on a tile excavated last season that preserves elements of a geometric meandering pattern. Since the artifact entered the laboratory badly damaged, she has delicately and meticulously worked to conserve it.

Steve and Maggie also teach the first year students the basics of conservation in a hands-on approach. They share techniques such as dry brushing pottery, scalpeling to remove excess soil, adhering fractures, and painting. This way, students learn an important facet of archaeology in addition to excavation in the field.

It seems that there’s been an exciting activity every night this week. Tuesday night our good friend Gianluca held an Italian lesson, in which he taught us the fundamentals of Italian. Wednesday and Thursday we watched Spain defeat Portugal and Italy defeat Germany in the hotel’s bar. Many of us ran down to the Bar Circolo, the center of social life for the Italians living in Vescovado, after Thursday night’s match to celebrate.

Friday night Gianluca also hosted a dinner party in the cava to celebrate the Americans returning to Vescovado for the summer. The cava is a flat expanse of land in the forest where we roast a pig and dance to a DJ set one night every year. This year a local band called Old Skull Rock played an incredible set. Afterwards, Alessandro, a local Vescovadian, played a DJ set of the greatest hits of the 60’s and 70’s. We quite literally twisted the night away.

Jevon of Old Skull Rock.
Photo by Grayson Lauffenburger

Tonight is the Euro Cup final and Italy is taking on Spain! Cannot wait to see how this one turns out!

Definitions:

Slag: The material that is left as a result of smelting metallic ore. The material is bulbous, heavy, and typically cold to the touch.

Vitrified Terracotta: Terracotta that has undergone a second firing at such a temperature that it converts the terracotta into a glassy substance.

Geometric Meander: A repeated motif made up of one line. It is "the figure of a labyrinth in linear form" (Karoly Kerenyi)

Welcome to Scavi

Saturday 22 June 2012

Welcome and Introductions

This week has been a flurry of introducing students to the site and archaeology in general, appreciating the beauty of the Tuscan countryside and its incredible cuisine, and reuniting with old friends.

Many of the staff arrived in Vescovado di Murlo last Saturday night (June 16). Luckily, we made it in time to celebrate Vescovado’s annual Festa del Cinghiale (The Festival of the Wild Boar). As forests surround Vescovado, hunting is a common hobby of its inhabitants. This festival celebrates the tradition of hunting wild boar native to the Tuscan hills with an outdoor dinner that all locals attend. After dinner, several generations of Vescovadians danced together to a live band. Some of us danced, while others shared wine and reconnected after another year apart.

Andrew Carrol using a transit to lay out trenches

Friday marked the first full day of excavation at Poggio Civitate. The excitement among staff and students was tangible. It was the beginning of a new excavation season and in an area that has been minimally explored in the 45 years of excavation at Poggio Civitate.

The area we are excavating this season is just southeast of Piano del Tesoro, the plateau upon which the ancient settlement of Poggio Civitate lies. Piano del Tesoro maintains a residence, a workshop, and a tripartite building dating to Urbanizing-era Etruria (7-6^th century BC) and an Archaic-era complex (5^th-4^th century BC) that coalesces the three previous buildings. The evidence of wide scale manufacture in the Urbanizing workshop and the Archaic complex would lead one to believe that there was a work force at Poggio Civitate that lived near the plateau.

Ann Glennie excavating trench CB 47

Thus, we are excavating at a lower elevation than Piano del Tesoro and approximately 50 meters away. We believe that this area could possibly provide evidence for habitation by this worker population.

The focus today was to teach students basic methods of excavation, including how to pick axe for a pick pass and how to sort topsoil with a trowel and hand picks.

Definitions

Pick Pass: The process of pick axing across a section of the trench in order to sort soil. Soil is sorted by varying methods as required by the type of soil, area of excavation, and concentration of artifacts.

Topsoil: The soil on the surface of the trench prior to excavation. Depending on the area, topsoil can extend from a few centimeters into the earth to several.