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MONUMENTAL
flight of Herodian
steps leading to the Double Gate.
by its very nature, is systematicaUy
destructive. Once a site has been
dug up, that's it. All that remains is
what the archaeologist chooses to
leave or what he can dig around.
To ascertain what líes beneath a
particular structure, he must essen–
tially destroy part or all of it.
For this reason, the process of
excavation has become very or–
dered and precise in its execution.
There is a definite disciplíne or
way to organize information ob–
tained from
systematic
excavation.
Let me explain.
First, the area to be excavated is
surveyed, and grid coordinates are
marked out. The absolute height
above sea level is determined as a
central reference point. To this
point are related all the heights or
depths of whatever is unearthed -
occupation layers, structures, and
major artifacts - as the dig
progresses.
Maps, sketches, and pictures
record the entire process. As each
stratum or level is uncovered, it is
numbered, photographed and
sketched. Tbis preserves for future
research its exact position and ap–
pearance at the moment of its ex–
posure to sunlight.
The smaUer finds. such as coins,
potsherds, bones, figurines, or or–
namental architectural fragments,
are coUected in labeled buckets or
boxes. Each container has writlen
on it the grid coordinates (or
locos), the stratum number, and
the depth at which its contents
were found.
In reality, archaeology is me–
thodical garbage picking - strain–
ing through the chance leftovers
that have somehow l asted
tltroughout the centuries. This is
its weakness, for the earlier the
garbage dump is, generally speak–
ing, the less there is to pick over.
What survives is mostly made of
stooe, baked earth (pottery,
burned brick), or shell. Sometimes
bone, glass. metal, and rarely,
wood, seeds, leather, or cloth sur–
vive due to special soil and clima–
tic conditions. These, together with
channels or pits carved out of bed–
rock, stone waUs, sometimes sun–
dried bricks, and even postholes.
make up the evidence that has sur–
vived the elements and time.
Reconstruction
-
But How?
A major part and one of the
most time-consuming aspects of
archaeology is the reconstruction
or restoration of the small finds to
a condition as close to the original
as possible. For example, heavily
corroded coins are often beyond
recognition. They can, however, be
chemically treated. The result may
be coins almost as good as new,
providing they were not crushed or
broken.
The most common artifacts are
pottery sherds - bits and pieces of
shattered pots that seemingly
never disintegrate. Their abun–
dance makes them a reliable
chronological indicator for the ar–
chaeologist. The changes in typo–
logical style and technique of
manufacture over the years are the
main criteria used to determine
period dates.
Specialized technicians possess-
ing great patience spend days.
weeks, and months trying to put
the pieces of pottery together. Usu–
ally, they concentrate on the finds
of one stratum or phase of one
locus at a time.
Jf enough of a vessel can be
pieced together to reach from the
rim to the base, it's called a "com–
plete" or "whole" vessel. From this
cross section, accurate measure–
ments can be obtained of the pot's
original size and shape. Plaster
is
used to restore the vessel to its
former proportions. Thls technique
is used extensively when new or
unusual types of pots are discov–
ered.
Ornamental architectural frag–
ments provide one of the most ex–
citing and fruitful opportunities
for restoration. In the excavations
at the Temple Mount, these carved
fragments of stone give clues to the
overall design of a structure. If
enough parts of a repetitive pat–
tern are found, the architect can
reconstruct the complete unit.
Brian Lalor, architect for the ex–
cavations at the Temple Mount,
has shown himself particular!y tal–
ented in this. For example, from
the few building fragments uncov–
ered at this dig, he has drawn de–
tailed pictures which depict the
massive beauty and roagnificently
carved designs of the Herodian
and the later Omayyad (A.D. 660-
750) periods.
Finally, the many small maps
and sketches made during the pro–
cess of excavation are combined to
form a master plan of J.he dig. The
physical layout of streets and
buildings are determined for each
stratum. Drawings are based on
the plans. pictures, and remains
left intact. Profiles listing the pot–
tery, coins, and other artifacts are
also made for each !ayer, locus by
locos. In effect, these small finds
are later placed inside the appro–
priate reconstructed buildings,
room by room. according to the
phases they represent.