How to Make Up an Archaeological Site at Home
Popular history and archaeology programs have created more interest and better understanding among the public than ever before. People often feel like trying it out themselves. They may dream of finding long-lost objects and being the first person for centuries to handle them, or just finding out what used to be on the site of their house. An archaeological dig must be done carefully and methodically if the findings are to be of any value, but it's perfectly possible to perform a full and useful excavation in your own back garden.
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Things You'll Need
- Nine-inch nails
- String
- Spade
- Four-inch bricklayer's pointing trowel
- Context sheets
- Egg boxes
- Toothbrush
- Metal detector
Instructions
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Mark out a "test pit." To do this, put four nine-inch nails into the ground to mark the corners of a square, three feet by three feet. Then, tie string around the edges, taught, so that it marks the sides.
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Use a spade to take up the turf if the area is grassy. Cut it into sections, then lever them up. If you want to replace them when you are done, keep them neatly stacked somewhere out of the way.
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Using a four-inch bricklayer's pointing trowel, scrape away the top layer of earth bit by bit, keeping a close eye for any artifacts, or patches of earth that are a different color or texture. This earth is the first "context." After a while, you should come down onto a whole new layer of earth that is a different color and texture. These layers build up over time, so the farther down they are, the older the objects and features they contain tend to be.
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Fill out context sheets as you go, so that if your findings are useful to future archaeologists they can be interpreted. As you don't have a site code, you can fill that section with something like "My Dig."
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Place objects you find in egg trays for safekeeping. If they aren't too delicate, they can be cleaned with a toothbrush (an old, worn-out one will do) and plain water to remove the dirt. The absorbent egg trays will then also help them to dry.
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Avoid digging through patches of different-colored soil without investigating, as these are very often archaeologically important too. For example, if a post was put in the ground as part of a building and later removed, the hole it left behind would fill up with a different kind of soil and leave a patch. It's a good idea to consult a guide to help you identify what different kinds of patches represent. Also, these types of features count as a context in your records, like the layers of soil.
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Repeat this process for as many test pits as you like. "Test pits" are so called because they are designed to test the archaeology, seeing what is present and where it is concentrated. If you find evidence of something larger or a lot of interesting finds in a small area, feel free to dig a larger "trench," which can be excavated with the same techniques.
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Tips & Warnings
It's a good idea to find out the natural geology of your area --- the type of ground that was there before human activity. That way, you'll know if you've dug deep enough to pass all the archaeology and should stop digging. This information can usually be found at your local library. Or, if there are major building works going on nearby, sometimes the workmen will know and be happy to tell you.
Research local laws on finding valuable or important items, and on what to do if you uncover human remains. Although it's unlikely you'll come across these things, it's definitely best to be prepared.
Metal detectors can help give you an idea of where to dig, and also check your "spoil heap" --- the pile of soil you've dug through --- for metal finds you may have missed.
If you come across a gas or water pipe, or a warning that those things are below, immediately stop digging, fill in the hole and try again elsewhere.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
