11th February 2007, 11:15 AM
So this wasnt a hypothetical situation then, troll? It all seemed a bit specific when you mentioned staff numbers early on.
How was the barrow excavation approached then - what did the machining and mattocking involve? was the mound thoroughly trowelled, to check for secondary interments/features, post settings, etc, at each significant deposit before machining off the mound material. Was the mound thoroughly recorded (sections etc)? What percentage of the ditch was excavated? Were there any primary burials?
I can understand your frustration that the mound had to be touched in the first place, but what were the specific shortcomings of the excavation?
How was the barrow excavation approached then - what did the machining and mattocking involve? was the mound thoroughly trowelled, to check for secondary interments/features, post settings, etc, at each significant deposit before machining off the mound material. Was the mound thoroughly recorded (sections etc)? What percentage of the ditch was excavated? Were there any primary burials?
I can understand your frustration that the mound had to be touched in the first place, but what were the specific shortcomings of the excavation?