28th April 2012, 05:20 PM
maybe so rare in fact that taking a "sample" is not an aid to excavation and has little to do with identifying the context which is what the digger (field archaeologist) do-mostly by seeing, with a bit of touch and occational sniff and taste. Basically the sample is an artifact like any other find found in the context, and its the context that the digger does see.
and which is why mosts samples retrived from ditches only reinforce the bleeding obvious - that they had been a ditch fill. I had a brief the other day which said that I was to sample all peat deposits I encountered. I hope that a peat sample will come back as its not peat but something else and I will get to say chuck it because I was told to sample peat deposits. but then these brief writers like to let you know whoe is in charge
and which is why mosts samples retrived from ditches only reinforce the bleeding obvious - that they had been a ditch fill. I had a brief the other day which said that I was to sample all peat deposits I encountered. I hope that a peat sample will come back as its not peat but something else and I will get to say chuck it because I was told to sample peat deposits. but then these brief writers like to let you know whoe is in charge
Reason: your past is my past