Learning to Rescue Archaeology
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Digging the new trench
Shooting trenches
The work starts
The salvage trench
Pottery from the bakery
Lessons the last two days on rescue archaeology. In trying to help secure the Abydos site from encroachment and looting a well intentioned wall is being put up. Unfortunately the methodology being used wasn’t very sound. A backhoe was brought on site and promptly disturbed a New Kingdom grave site and an artifact was recovered from the location that fortunately was not broken by the backhoe. After relocating from the grave site the backhoe dug into 18th dynasty pottery from a cult bakery and workshop.
Dr. Steven Harvey, who is running the dig, worked on securing cooperation from the local authorities. Our team is now taking over the trenching work by hand and replacing the back hoe. We staked off the trench and started digging yesterday. Hand digging will allow us to make sure that no further tombs or monuments are accidentally disturbed and give us an opportunity to try to reroute the wall. We are working in the shadow of the Ahmose pyramid (circa 1530 BC). Today we completely shut down the work on the Tetisheri Pyramid and moved the whole team and the labor force over to handle the trenching for the wall while trying to keep the wall construction on schedule.
The walling of the area is not popular with the local village since they have put a livestock watering location in the area and the area is heavily used for grazing and watering their animals. It a scenario that is played out all over the world as population density bumps up against cultural monuments and sites.
Posted on: April 14, 2010 | Categories: Archaeology, Egypt
