Prior to excavating, a “reading” of the topography helps identify
possible features that can still be identified; remnants of foundations, mounds of
earth, depressions in the ground that do not “fit” the area, etc. These often will point
to hidden remains and clues that will offer information through the exposure of buried
features.
The team first digs a series of test pits or small spaced out excavations that will
attempt to identify the size and extent of a feature. These will reveal, through artifacts
recovered, remnants of structural elements exposed, and the stratigraphy or layering of
the soil information.
A full scale excavation is begun where the area is measured out in a grid system
of squares based on meters and excavated by slowly scraping away the soil evenly with
hand-held trowels. The soil is then placed through a wire mesh sifter to search for any
artifacts missed during the digging process. Artifacts are any man made or used item
found; pieces of pottery, glass, metal objects such as nails, as well as a wide range of
other types of objects and materials. All artifacts are bagged and identified by depth and
location within the square for later processing, mapping, and identification.
The artifacts and features uncovered are then cleaned and identified
by type, material, and possible date so as to help to explain the true nature of the site and
reveal the story of life and activities. The information from the dig is then correlated with
research evidence to give a richer and much more precise picture of the past at the site.
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