2002 TRENCH PC 23 Robert Vander Poppen, Field Supervisor Josh Moran, Assistant Supervisor Week 1: Robert Vander Poppen with his crew in Trench PC 23. Another season of excavation has commenced atop Poggio Colla. This season is the excavation's eighth. The previous years have served to greatly increase our knowledge of the area in the Etruscan period, but with each new season come as many new questions as we have discovered answers. Last year was no exception to the rule. Trench 23, originally placed to recover the context of an area around a pit dug by local robbers, did in fact achieve this goal. The stratigraphy associated with the pit was largely recovered, and despite the fact that we do not know what was removed, we do understand the context of whatever the finds were. Series of blocks excavated in Trench PC 23 in 2001. In addition to recovering a context for the disturbed pit, Trench 23 also began to unravel the nature of the interior space of our monumental building on Poggio Colla. In the eastern end of the trench, a series of blocks that may represent a floor or a base for an altar were discovered and partially excavated. In the western end of the trench a large mudbrick fall was uncovered. The spill of mudbrick seemed to have come from a collapsed wall. No matter how badly the excavators wanted further answers to their questions, the exigencies of time forced us to backfill the trench as always at the end of the season. Mud brick excavated in Trench PC 23 in 2001. As a result, we began the season's excavation with clearing the brush, largely rye grass, which had grown over the trench over the winter and spring. In addition, we spent two days removing the backfill placed in the trench at the end of the season to protect the artifacts and excavation profiles. On Wednesday we were ready to excavate. Among the unanswered questions from last year: what was the extent of the mudbrick spill and was there a foundation beneath a portion of the spill? The answers to these two questions will be key in determining if the mudbrick is indeed a spill from an exterior wall, a spill from an interior wall, or a floor packing. As we have progressed with excavation in the western area of the trench it has become clear that the extent of the mudbrick spill is quite larger than I had believed. It extends from the northern edge of the trench all the way to the south and takes up nearly an entire 2.5 m x 2.5 m locus. View of Trench PC 23 and the new extension in 2002. Amongst the mudbrick three eager and skilled excavators removed a series of small finds. Russell Moore removed a metal rod, Tamee Bollinger a nail, and Mike Glover a furniture boss. All did a wonderful job in recognizing the bronze and assisting with its removal. This year's group promises to contain a number of great excavators even at this early stage. I am filled with anticipation to attempt to answer the questions I have about the site with their help. Above and below: students working in Trench PC 23.   Susan Georges (left) with Robert Vander Poppen shooting a documentary video on clandestini, who robbed our site in 2001. 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, enter the person's last 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