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 Senior Curator Bridget Marx returns to the lab.   Illustrator Sue Bird checks the impressive list of illustrations she completed in 2004. Week 6 has been a busy one here in the Poggio Colla lab. As we near the season's end, we have begun to experience the inevitable comings and goings that mark periods of change. We have been glad to welcome back our senior curator, Bridget Marx, to assist with our end of season tasks and our illustrator, Sue Bird, who is completing her drawings of fineware from Podere Funghi and our examples of black glaze from both sites. Ann Steiner and Gretchen Meyers examining bucchero sherds. We are sad to have said goodbye to Ann Steiner, who has left to return to Franklin and Marshall College, having completed another season of black glaze study and overseen her students' research. In Trench PC 20, Conservator Chris White lifts an iron spearhead found by Brad Schneider, and defined by Brad Schneider and Robert Belanger.   Iron find from PC 20 in container for transport to the lab. As our colleagues in the field continue to unearth new and interesting finds each day, we continue to process and conserve them… Recently there have been some particularly fruitful days, with more than 20 finds coming into the lab from single trenches on Poggio Colla, as well as some very interesting full profiles from trenches in Podere Funghi. In order to keep up with the pace of our field staff we have had to rely on the long hours and dedication of our two conservators, Chris and Esther. This past week they have been putting their conservation skills to work on a Phase 1 architectural block, a spear point and of course, bucchero, bucchero, bucchero… As the season draws to a close they are looking forward to all those last minute finds! Conservator Esther Chao with one hand on a worked block, the other on a ceramic sherd. Our lab projects are moving along. The tile project, which so many of our students have assisted with, is nearing completion. Our inventory of tile from the early years of excavation has brought back to our attention a number of interesting tile fragments, which will be studied in the next few years. We hope to be able to understand our buildings' roofing systems, as well as determine the different types of tile used on Poggio Colla and Podere Funghi in different building phases. Thanks to our students for all their hard work and diligent attention! The Franklin and Marshall students have completed their lab study and have moved to a phase of book research and reference. We are looking forward to their conclusions regarding the fineware from the Podere Funghi midden. Rob Belanger also spent some time with us this week, looking at fineware from architectural contexts in Podere Funghi and considering our fineware typology in light of these other examples. Lilly Albritton entering new finds into the catalog. And while it seems like we have just begun, we are painfully aware of how close we are to the final days of excavation and the packing up and storing of our artifacts. We have begun documenting all of our newly catalogued objects for 2004 (187 and counting!) with digital photography. I am thankful to the efforts of Lilly and Bridget for keeping on top of all the tasks that allow our catalog and storage system to work so well! Daphne Meyers-Coonan gets an early start on tile scholarship.   Chris White looking for joins in bucchero fragments from PC 20.   Chris White, Gretchen Meyers, and Jess Galloway discuss a find.   Conserved bowl and the soil it covered from Trench PF 15.   Conserved bucchero finds from Trench PC 20.   Ann Steiner in the midst of her ceramic study area in the magzzino.   Director of Materials Gretchen Meyers.   Chris White cleaning finds.   Daphne Meyers-Coonan   Crates brought from Parma by Greg Warden for storage of new finds.     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