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Best dig sites for amateurs
#1
There seem to be a lot of digs at Roman sites, and some charge for the privilege. I've visited Vindolanda, and seen the area, but what about other places in UK/Germany? If I try to prioritize, I'd say type of dig, then cost, then goals of the project, then personality of the person in charge. Probably location too, depending upon remoteness.<br>
Has anyone here (other than our illustrious Dr. Bishop) participated in digs? <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX.
the HIGH NOISE/low signal person for RAT.
ICQ 940236
</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=richsc>RichSC</A> at: 2/27/02 4:35:20 am<br></i>
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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#2
Biblical Archaeological Review usually has a good list of sites in the Holyland that are loking for volunteers, and a good description of the "5 w's". etc. I've let my subscription sag, so can't say now if they are still digging at Gamala, but when I was there it was great, as I mentioned on an previous thread. (Abriea Chain Mail). Because of the Roman military connection, Gamala would likely appeal to RAT readers. It will cost more to fly to Israel, but then at least, volunteers didn't have to "pay" for the previlege of working. It was a tent camp, and the food was supplied by the Israeli Army which had a base nearby. l doubt I'd be interested in this current idea of "paying" to be a volunteer, like it was some kind of "dude ranch" instead of an archaological site. <p></p><i></i>
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#3
...The Israeli Army not only has a base near Gamala - from time to time they are blocking the road to make sure no passersby are hit when they shoot across the street with their tanks... EM E EM<br>
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Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/umagisternavis.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Magister Navis</A> at: 2/28/02 2:50:07 am<br></i>
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#4
Martin, I suspected things might be a bit "hotter" in that region since I was there. I guess that means they've probably stopped the excavations now. What a shame, from Josephus account, if accurate, the "houses collapsing down on legionaries" might someday result in the find of a complete lst century soldier exactly as he was equipped in battle. If that were the case, there might even be preserved cloth fragments to show the actual "military tunic" color!<br>
All the best, Dan.<br>
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Ps. I was "smuggled" into that very base once, in the back seat of a soldier's car...... Too "off topic" to explain here, you'll have to remind me at the next RAT pack meeting! <p></p><i></i>
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#5
Yes, things are indeed hotter in the Golan region now than 1 1/2 years ago; let's hope the pot does not boil over...<br>
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Dan, as you know at least one roman soldier has been found in Gamla - his <i> segmentata</i>, to be correct ("famous set - originally all one cuirass", M. Bishop), but even more of his (or others') equipment if I remember Guy Stiebel correctly. So far we have only his and J. Magness' short notice in <i> Arma</i> No. 7 (1-2), 1995, p. 8; all this stuff awaits its full publication by Guy.<br>
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Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/umagisternavis.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Magister Navis</A> at: 3/2/02 8:27:08 pm<br></i>
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#6
Martin, I was the guy who first identified that armour, not at the site, it had been brought to Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem the previous season. Shamyra Gutmann told me they had found the helmet parts, and gave me permission to see them, and while there I identified a box of iron fragments as lorica segmentata. No one at the museum knew what it was, and fortunately they had a copy of Robinson in their library, and were quite excited about it when they could see the same kinds of fittings on the Gamala fragments. I think this was 1981 or 82. I'd have to check my correspondence with Peter Connolly, as I wrote him about it as soon as I returned from Israel.<br>
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But no way was there a complete lorica there. from the amount and pieces of hardware, it looked to me like just one upper cuirass half. There were no tie loops at all, and I think everything could have fit in a Big Mac carton.<br>
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Perhaps there was a another find after this, or the remaing parts of the armour were recovered the following season. There were a few bones in the same main box as the other military artifacts, but very small and nothing I could identify as "human". If they were, probably hand or foot bones. The probable "Coolus/Hagenau) type helmet consisted of only one cheekpiece and the brow guard. I believe they were from the same helmet as they had the same traces of tinning. There was also a grip scale to a pugio, and the chape from a Pompeii type sword scabbard, and lots of arrow and catapult dart heads. I still have the photos, and sent a set to Peter.<br>
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Rumours have a habit of "getting out of hand". I hope those scanty finds alone didn't "generate" into a completely armored Roman skeleton!<br>
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All the best, Dan.<br>
<p></p><i></i>
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#7
Ok, I was the one to tilt the discussion away from the original topic, so it's fair enough to tilt it back now!<br>
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For Germany I can only add that it's quite difficult to participate in an excavation when coming from abroad - not because we don't like foreign people, but because there's no "tradition" here to carry out digs with large numbers of amateurs, and nobody's yet thought about partly financing his excavation by the contributions of amateur participants - like for example in Israel.<br>
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I know of no roman site where one could come and dig as an amateur or where somebody would plan to introduce sth like that, only two or three prehistoric digs of minor importance and size. With a big piece of luck you can get on a "real" excavation (and sometimes even get paid) when you are in a long term connection with the official bodies that plan and carry out digs ("Landesämter für Denkmalpflege" or certain university institutes...like the one I work at) or as a student job in the holidays, but again, this is virtually impossible for people from abroad.<br>
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...and yes, I participated in a few digs here and there<br>
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Greetings,<br>
<br>
Martin <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/umagisternavis.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Magister Navis</A> at: 3/7/02 2:52:53 am<br></i>
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#8
For those of us who speak french, I've found this:<br>
www.culture.fr/fouilles/<br>
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It is not updated and dates back from '01. <!-- <br>
But it's a map of all the digs in France, with the addresses of people in charge and most of the time the nature of the dig and the conditions (lenght of stay, minimum age, accomodations and so on..). And at least you've got the addresses.<br>
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Most of the time it's free of charge. When there is one, it's in the 70 US $ range.<br>
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Click on the map to get the specific area. I've checked the east of France and there are many digs related to the roman period.<br>
I hope you dig it.. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=antoninuslucretius>Antoninus Lucretius</A> at: 3/15/02 9:55:10 am<br></i>
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