2004 CONSERVATION Gretchen Meyers, Rollins University, Director of Materials Ann Steiner, Franklin and Marshall College, Director of Research Chris White, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Head Conservator Esther H. Chao, Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Conservator Bridget Marx, Southern Methodist University, Senior Curator Sue Bird, Illustrator Lilly Albritton, SMU, Lab Assistant Week 3 - Gretchen Meyers: Dr. Gretchen Meyers, Director of Materials at work on the catalog. I am very pleased to be writing my first report as Director of Materials at the MVAP research lab. We have a number of interesting and fruitful research projects this season and we have spent the last week organizing this year's improved facilities to increase and optimize space for scholars and students to study artifacts from both Poggio Colla and Podere Funghi. We are trying to prioritize our long-term ceramic projects, particularly as excavation work in Podere Funghi draws to close, as well as accommodate ourselves and our space to the new information and finds of this season. It is the nature of archaeological science to constantly adapt to new questions as new discoveries are made! Left: Dr. Ann Steiner and Franklin and Marshall student Sarah McCrory studying Podere Funghi fineware. Right: Lab Assistant Lilly Albritton contemplating reorganization of materials and catalog changes. We have set up several large study tables to look at some of the ceramics found both on Poggio Colla and in Podere Funghi. Dr. Ann Steiner continues her research on our black glaze and this week has enjoyed looking at our provocative black glaze finds from the kiln in Podere Funghi in the 2003 season. In addition, Dr. Steiner has begun supervising a project with her students from Franklin and Marshall College. Together with her, they are cataloging and compiling a typology of fineware from the trash midden excavated in Podere Funghi in 1998 and 1999. In addition, this same pottery is being drawn by our illustrator, Sue Bird. So much attention to this very important assemblage has already resulted in new joins, new observations about our ceramic shapes and fabrics and much interesting discussion in the lab. Illustrator Sue Bird at work in the maggazino. In conjunction with this season's excavation of PC 20 on Poggio Colla, we are also re-looking at our catalogued bucchero from the excavation of PC 20 in 2000. We are establishing bucchero study areas in the lab so that trench supervisors, students, as well as ourselves, can spend time becoming familiar with the bucchero vessels previously found at Poggio Colla. As excavation produces more and more examples of bucchero vessels from PC 20, such as the number of chalice stems and wing handles this past week, it is our hope that our lab study area will lead to associations and connections about the type of bucchero vessels and decorative patterns we have here at Poggio Colla. Dr. Gretchen Meyers and Lilly Albritton reorganizing catalogued finds. We have been aided by several students in these endeavors-most particularly Lilly Albritton, who has been working in the lab for two weeks now. She has been instrumental in our early season inventory process, as well as our organizational efforts to reorganize our catalogued material according to site (Poggio Colla vs. Podere Funghi). Such work has allowed her to become familiar with the variety of ceramic, metal, and tile finds here at the MVAP. In addition, other students have come in to help us survey tile fragments collected in the early years of the excavation. The goal of this project is to isolate particularly informative tile fragments for further study of the roofing history of the site. Conservators Chris White and Esther Chao. Of course, as always, none of this research would be possible now or in the future without the daily processing and conserving of artifacts. Over 150 finds have entered our lab so far this season and most have already been cleaned and conserved by Chris White, our head conservator. We are pleased that he has been joined this week by Esther Chao, to assist him. Maybe this will give him a rest from his usual 7 am-7 pm days! The finds and the information keep coming… tune in next week. Student Andrew McClellan organizing roof tile in the magazzino. Head Conservator Chris White in the conservation lab.     Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 - Final Report   Director, Gregory Warden gwarden@mail.smu.edu Director, Michael Thomas michael.thomas@tufts.edu While the team is in Italy during the summer field season, send e-mail to: mvap3@dada.it To email an individual on the team, put that person's name in the subject heading. Excavation house phone: 055-844-9834, or, when calling from the US: 011-39-55-844-9834. Introduction | 2004 Field Season | Poggio Colla Field School | What’s New | Staff | Students Site History | Directors' Diaries | Student Diaries | Excavation Friends | Facilities | Conservation | Surveys Robert Belanger | Katherine Blanchard | Josh Moran | Caitlin Vacanti | Ivo van der Graaff | Robert Vander Poppen QuickTime VR | Site Set-Up | Dig Daily Life | Excavation Process | Field Manual | Lectures | Season's End Archives | Finds | Research Projects | Publications | Bibliography | Mugello Area | Home