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+--- Thread: Give a monkeys? (/showthread.php?tid=228)
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Give a monkeys? - troll - 24th August 2006
Have been veritably enlightened no less
Was`nt really overwhelmed by med studies at uni and most med sites I`ve worn/chewed were distinctly uninspiring.Have just spent a goodly few months excavating an 11oos monastic precinct and have loved every minute of it! Not only that, the site in question has played host to some extremely high profile peeps from history so have been standing on the same ground as them-cool! Was somewhat surprised to see a water supply system consisting of a ceramic pipe that not only was green glazed inside and out but- was built in sections with male/female joins! Has been really good to dig the site during the day and read historic documents relating to the site over a dirty kebab in the evenings! Sad I know but-prehistory is taking a back seat as I read Med!!! Never thought I would see the day.Anyone else had their fancies tickled by a site/period that once induced yawns?..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
Give a monkeys? - trowelfodder - 24th August 2006
As a bit fan of prehistoric arhaeology I hate to admt it but one of the most interesting sites ive worke on was a ww2 gun enplacement!! Thought it was a rediculous job when got set out to do it and i didnt understand why it wasnt properly recorded before being partially destroyed and buried a few years earlier - still dont now i think about it...
But anyhow it was great digging it up everyone walking past had a story about what the site ment to them and memories of playing on it growing up and people whod been stationed there. It was fascinating. Could hav done without one old boy telling me how he'd conceived two of his three kids there tho - def needed a mind rubber ater that!
Told him the county archaeologist would love to hear about it tho and gave the guy his office phone number - im bad i know but made me laugh after the ca had given speell on public history and involment [:p]
Give a monkeys? - troll - 24th August 2006
Recently heard of someone who took part in an evaluation in the penguin enclosure of a local zoo!
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
Give a monkeys? - historic building - 28th August 2006
Monastic sites are always excellent and sometimes manage to survive pretty well. I worked on one in a costal town a few years ago and the water engineering was amazing. The first site I dug on was a royal castle which was referenced in these documents called the Liberate Rolls. Bascially these gave us the distribution of buildings and their sizes. Basically excavate the room/building, measure it and look at its location in relation to the surviving bits of the site. Absolutly amazing and turned me into a medievalist for life.
Give a monkeys? - tom wilson - 28th August 2006
I find that there's a big distinction between digging stuff up and writing stuff up. I left college still thinking that anything after the Romans arrived was 'modern rubbish' but rich, complex Roman urban or military sites were a joy to excavate. As HB intimated, there's also a real buzz from connecting the physical remains to documentary sources. In 1996 I excavated a guy called John Hawkes who died exactly 300 years earlier. The site director managed to find out quite a bit about him. On an emotional level, that changed the way I look at the archaeological record forever.
On the other hand, excavating prehistoric sites can be just every so slightly boring: hardly any finds, most of which look like lumps of mud, and an endless sequence of pits and big ditches. However, once you have a big plan and some environmental evidence and spatial distribution of the finds it becomes ten times more engaging.
Part of this comes down to the two part nature of archaeological discovery. First you have 'I think I know what happened', Then you did or research more and you get the second buzzy feeling: 'I knew that this was what happened'. This applies to everything from digging an intersection to finding Troy.
Give a monkeys? - destroyer - 28th August 2006
I normally prefer Roman and Saxon stuff but I am currently dealing with the post-exc of a site occupying part of a 200 year old pottery business.
Fieldwork showed no sign of the dozens of Roman kilns seen elsewhere in the vicinity but, and this has proved unexpectedly quite fascinating,uncovered drying sheds and flues associated with the still standing 1940's kiln. How pleased was I when my site plan was later seen to exactly match the original architects plan!
WW1 or 2 stuff also comes up occasionally, lot of airfields round my way with housing estates going up, which can lead to interesting distractions. Have a site to write up with a possible WW2 gun emplacement almost looking as if its the focus for a BA pit scatter
Give a monkeys? - tom wilson - 28th August 2006
Quote:quote:Originally posted by destroyer
[Have a site to write up with a possible WW2 gun emplacement almost looking as if its the focus for a BA pit scatter
They're simple folk living round your way Destroyer?
Give a monkeys? - troll - 28th August 2006
Greetings to all.I visited a second world war pow camp (Eden Camp Yorks) recently and spent hours there-brilliant.I don`t think it really matters what period we are looking at or indeed, standing on.For me, every bit of diggin I do is an old theatre stage where peoples lives were played out.Tiz the woooooo feeling.The priory I was diggin turned out to be where the wife of Longshanks was embalmed prior to burial in Westminster Abbey. Ironically, one of our lady diggers recovered a longshanks coin and promptly spat. Shes a Scot and were`nt best pleased! Quite right too, a man who needed a slap indeed. Turns out that Longshanks borrowed dosh from Genovese and other Italian moneylenders to fund his hammering of the Scots.He then forced the prior to repay the debt on his behalf.So, lets get this right.... the church is forced to pay for a monarch to inflict carnage upon people from another country. Rings a bell in a number of ways. Apparently, around £8 of our weekly tax goes directly to the defence types.Essentially, making all of us share in the guilt whether we agree or not with the actions our figureheads take. Nothing really changes I suppose. Twaz a great site, unfortunately it`s still a nightmare working out a securely phased ground plan but hey...bit longer.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
Give a monkeys? - Penfold - 28th August 2006
Troll
Whats this, are you officially admitting that Medieval archaeology is cool?? Glad to hear it (but dont expect me to show the same enthusiasm for lithics). Now dont forget we only have 4 days left to finish the job[?]
Penfold
Give a monkeys? - troll - 28th August 2006
Tiz me day off yer old medievalist git! Four days.....I love my job[?]
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)