After the dig...

Once a dig is finished, the post-excavation process begins. Here, all the records taken and all the findings discovered during the excavation need to be linked to uncover the real story behind them.

One of the main roles of the archaeologist is to explain the use of the site changes which took place over time so that we can see what happened first, what happened next, and so on. Such information is revealed through the documentation and finds recorded, while the layers of soil and rubble were being removed from the site. Keeping in mind that as time passes things get covered with dust, the more modern objects are always on top while the oldest are buried deep at the bottom. This is how archaeologists create a chronological framework

It may not always be possible to date or identify every artefact found. However, there are many ways and means to fit the puzzle together. For example, the size of bones and other characteristics on them will reveal the age of the deceased and possibly any disease which the person had suffered from. The style of the pottery found with them and any decoration on them can be clues when compared to other artefacts which have already been found, identified and dated.

This may also indicate whether the pottery was made locally or if it was imported from some other country. The discovery of coins might also serve as a lucky find to help date and identify the objects unearthed from the same layer of soil.

Radio-carbon dating (also known as carbon-14 dating) is another means to achieve greater certainty in dating organic materials. Carbon-14 is produced by the effects of sunlight in the atmosphere, in the seas and on plant life. It can be found in the air we breathe and in the food we eat.

Thus, all living things absorb it while still alive. So when the organism dies and stops taking in carbon-14, a clock starts ticking from the moment of death, which helps archaeologists determine the approximate time the organism died.

Samples taken from bones can also be tested for DNA in order to understand human and population history, origins and evolution. This helps us to learn new facts about the lives of the people who lived before us, such as where they came from and if there were any population movements.

Facial reconstruction is another method used to give life to these persons. At St Paul’s Catacombs, a skeleton of a woman (specialists named her Elsa) aged between 18–24 years, found to date back between the 4th century BC and 2nd century AD, was brought back to life with a facial reconstruction, giving us the opportunity to look at history in the face.

The Excavation Pit at St Paul’s Catacombs

A hands-on excavation experience... find your way through the plan in pages 3-4

Archaeology is the study of our past through material remains found in excavating sites and archaeologists are the people who study the remains which they find during their digs.

This helps us learn more about our history, that is, who we are, where we come from, and how we lived. During excavation, archaeologists use tools which you might recognise. Some of them you even use for different purposes. These are…

The trowel is the main tool the archaeologist uses during an excavation.

A magnifying glass helps the archaeologist to get a close-up and personal look at the artefact uncovered.

A digital camera is a key tool to record in pictures the discoveries, including how and where each artefact was found.

The brush is important as its soft bristles cleans the artefact from loose dirt without damaging it.

A measuring tape is necessary to lay out geometry (grids) of the excavation pits to keep a good record of the site.

What other tools do you think are useful to archaeologists?