What has happened since last I posted? Lots, to be honest.
Work-wise: we are going through stratigraphy, though not as quickly as I would like (to be fair, we have less students per unit this year, and I had to give a bit of leeway the first couple of days). But, we've gotten the lead out. Yesterday was the official "please give me all your small tools, especially trowels, and I will give you only big picks, gufas (baskets made out of recycled tyres, sued to haul dirt and rocks), and hoes in return day". I think it was a big success, and I have decided to celebrate how much fun it was by making most days the same. I'm such a slave driver but, as I promised the students, the quicker we dig the better the stuff that we find.
Archaeology-wise (a section mostly dedicated to Andrew): w
e have removed the IR II pillars (both of them) in (unit) U4, which was a much longer ordeal than I expected, but it is done, and the sediment from below is all down. There is a beaten earth floor in the SE quadrant which cannot extend past the continuation of a N-S IR I wall running into the southern balk. The area where we uncovered the amphorae (very large, 1.5m tall storage jars) is not being touched for now, and the subsidiary balk that area shares with V3 is being kept as a balk for the time being (about 60cm wide) for safety, as we excavate to the east of it, in V3. In V3, the IR II pillars have also been removed, and the IR II/squatter debris to the north is on its way out. We are excavating down to the same level as the amphorae stratum in U4, then excavating the section in U4 and V3 (which will join as there is no wall separating them) concurrently. Today, in V3, we excavated an ashy layer, clear small boulder/large cobble tumble, with the remains of large pithoi below, with associated clay (to support them). Tomorrow: more deconstruction of IR II architecture, and more mad digging. (Andrew: I will take photos of the units to date tomorrow morning and post them asap.)
Health-wise: I feel great! Huzzah! Sadly, the same cannot be sad of all the students, though most are fine. We have had a couple of cases of dehydration, especially after the field trip to the Desert Castles (more below). Also, one of my students had a boulder drop onto her finger, bruising the joints pretty badly and cutting her a bit. I tape it to her ring finger 2x a day, and it seems to not be infected, so I'm pleased.
Fun-wise: the Desert Castles (in the central-eastern area of the country) wer
e amazing. I missed that same field trip last year due to a horrid case of food-poisoning. We visited the Citadel and Archaeological Museum in Amman, which shows the material evidence of occupation in the area since the Neolithic, and houses some restored plaster figurines (some of the earliest 3-D depictions of humans) from Ain-Ghezel, which were definitely my favourite, along with some pages from the Dead Sea scrolls (no photos of these, sadly).
Work-wise: we are going through stratigraphy, though not as quickly as I would like (to be fair, we have less students per unit this year, and I had to give a bit of leeway the first couple of days). But, we've gotten the lead out. Yesterday was the official "please give me all your small tools, especially trowels, and I will give you only big picks, gufas (baskets made out of recycled tyres, sued to haul dirt and rocks), and hoes in return day". I think it was a big success, and I have decided to celebrate how much fun it was by making most days the same. I'm such a slave driver but, as I promised the students, the quicker we dig the better the stuff that we find.
Archaeology-wise (a section mostly dedicated to Andrew): w
e have removed the IR II pillars (both of them) in (unit) U4, which was a much longer ordeal than I expected, but it is done, and the sediment from below is all down. There is a beaten earth floor in the SE quadrant which cannot extend past the continuation of a N-S IR I wall running into the southern balk. The area where we uncovered the amphorae (very large, 1.5m tall storage jars) is not being touched for now, and the subsidiary balk that area shares with V3 is being kept as a balk for the time being (about 60cm wide) for safety, as we excavate to the east of it, in V3. In V3, the IR II pillars have also been removed, and the IR II/squatter debris to the north is on its way out. We are excavating down to the same level as the amphorae stratum in U4, then excavating the section in U4 and V3 (which will join as there is no wall separating them) concurrently. Today, in V3, we excavated an ashy layer, clear small boulder/large cobble tumble, with the remains of large pithoi below, with associated clay (to support them). Tomorrow: more deconstruction of IR II architecture, and more mad digging. (Andrew: I will take photos of the units to date tomorrow morning and post them asap.)Health-wise: I feel great! Huzzah! Sadly, the same cannot be sad of all the students, though most are fine. We have had a couple of cases of dehydration, especially after the field trip to the Desert Castles (more below). Also, one of my students had a boulder drop onto her finger, bruising the joints pretty badly and cutting her a bit. I tape it to her ring finger 2x a day, and it seems to not be infected, so I'm pleased.
Fun-wise: the Desert Castles (in the central-eastern area of the country) wer
e amazing. I missed that same field trip last year due to a horrid case of food-poisoning. We visited the Citadel and Archaeological Museum in Amman, which shows the material evidence of occupation in the area since the Neolithic, and houses some restored plaster figurines (some of the earliest 3-D depictions of humans) from Ain-Ghezel, which were definitely my favourite, along with some pages from the Dead Sea scrolls (no photos of these, sadly). As for the Desert Castles themselves, we visited the UNESCO site of Qasyr Amra, famous for the wonderful non-Islamic tradition frescoes covering all the interior surface. The "little castle" was built by Wahid I, possibly, and was perhaps used as a retreat during the 7th century. Absolutely gorgeous, though sadly in need of serious restoration.
We also visited Azraq, a small fort-like place made from black basalt, and most famous in recent times as the place Lawrence of Arabia wintered in 1917-18, during the Arab revolt. He complained that the "roof leaked" apparently. I could see why: all the stone roof beams were originals. The original single-slabbed basalt door was also really impressive.
I have also gotten my house into the habit of smoking argileh for hours on end, though it took little persuasion and now they all just run with it, along with cold Arak (like Sambuca, served with cold water). One of the students is Lebanese, and he was thrilled to see I had a small stash of Arak in my room (thanks, Andrew). Now he provides the bags of nuts, and we enjoy a drink, Middle-Eastern style.
Time off work is spent either thinking about work, planning logistics are around the house, sneaking away for a drink or a cheese sandwich at the Ayola, and reading. All good times. The crew is fabulous, and the students are fantastic, so it makes for fun and relaxing evenings and lab time (2 hrs every afternoon when we all get together and wash pottery and bone, have pottery readings, catch up on the excavations, etc.).
I have also gotten my house into the habit of smoking argileh for hours on end, though it took little persuasion and now they all just run with it, along with cold Arak (like Sambuca, served with cold water). One of the students is Lebanese, and he was thrilled to see I had a small stash of Arak in my room (thanks, Andrew). Now he provides the bags of nuts, and we enjoy a drink, Middle-Eastern style.
Time off work is spent either thinking about work, planning logistics are around the house, sneaking away for a drink or a cheese sandwich at the Ayola, and reading. All good times. The crew is fabulous, and the students are fantastic, so it makes for fun and relaxing evenings and lab time (2 hrs every afternoon when we all get together and wash pottery and bone, have pottery readings, catch up on the excavations, etc.).
On Friday, almost all of the staff sneaked away to Amman and went crazy in the Mecca Mall, a huge Western-style shopping mall with 5 floors. We were on the hunt for racy tops for the traditional Jordanian wedding coming up this weekend, for the brother of Mashur, Sile, and his "habibi", Maram, with whom I have been made to speak broken Arabic on the phone every time Sile sees me. All the women will be segregated to the roof in racy clothes which are hidden under long robes, to dance around to the wee hours of the morning to Arabic pop on a ghetto blaster, hopped up on tea and Coke, while the men do the same in a tent in the yard below. Don't worry, I'll take photos.
Other than that, we are headed to Jerash this weekend, and we have a full week of digging before then. Keep the comments and emails coming!
Other than that, we are headed to Jerash this weekend, and we have a full week of digging before then. Keep the comments and emails coming!
1 comment:
Andrew- I took photos at work today, but the computer here won't upload them. I will get them on asap.
j
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