Excavating an Ancient Pit

Here we see an ancient storage pit being excavated. The digging is done very carefully by hand, using a tool called a trowel. In the background you can see a tray full of animal bones (mostly deer) that have been found within the pit. These are the remains of ancient meals. In the foreground are a bucket and a washtub containing soil that has been scooped out of the pit. This soil will be carefully processed to remove any remaining animal bones, artifacts, and plant remains. (We'll say more about this later.) Watch this video to see students excavating a refuse-filled pit.

A student excavating the contents from an ancient pit.