It’s late afternoon by the time you finish your writing your email to Professor Moro about the images and where to dig. Right after you send it, you see that you’ve gotten a new group email from her, titled “Our Dig Begins Tomorrow!” You open the message:
(click: "open the message")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<iframe src="https://gauchocast.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=a2fa6a37-7d84-4fc3-b242-afba014c9ec2&autoplay=true&offerviewer=false&showtitle=false&showbrand=false&captions=false&interactivity=none" height="0" width="0" style="border: 1px solid #464646;" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay"></iframe>(t8n: "dissolve")+(t8n-delay:1s)[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/7f1fb4a3020d61f11f0de54b151123a9/ee60131dd5db054f-69/s1280x1920/c950712f64624be454512df57f4effb41460b226.pnj" style="width:100%;max-width:1024px">]
//Click here to expand the email text for more accessible reading//
(click: "Click here to expand the email text for more accessible reading")[
''Our Dig Begins Tomorrow!''
Dear all trench supervisors,
Tomorrow our undergraduate archaeology students are arriving and our field school will begin! Since each of you will be responsible for supervising an archaeological trench and for teaching these undergrads how to dig, I would like to make sure you’re comfortable and confident in your understanding of excavation methods. Please read the attached pages from Renfrew and Bahn so you’re an expert on concepts like stratigraphy, what we mean when we talk about a “vertical dimension” and a “horizontal dimension,” the importance of recording, and how we might classify any artifacts we find.
FYI: our site will be an open area excavation and we will not be using the Wheeler box-grid.
I’m also attaching the welcome video and tutorial I sent to our undergrad field students to watch before they arrive. I STRONGLY suggest you all watch it too. You wouldn’t be in this role as supervisors if you didn’t know many of these things already, but it will be good for you to refresh your knowledge, since you might be rusty and I want to make sure we’re all on the same page with methodology and technique.
Logistics: Now for the fun stuff! I know many of you are coming to the site from Rome. Take the 9:05 a.m. bus from the Laurentina bus station to the stop “Casavenere.” It’s a half-hour bus ride south. Either I or our Italian co-director will be waiting for you at the station to bring you to our accommodations 5 minutes away. We’ll be having a big welcome dinner that night, so come hungry!
All the best,
Professor Moro ]
You decide to open the new Renfrew and Bahn reading first.]
(click: "You decide to open")+(t8n:'dissolve')[//(To download the PDF, click on the “pop-out” button in the upper right corner of the document. That will open a new window, and from there you can read and/or download the PDF.) //
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1624dgd39POQl1zimHfb8hc1If08KvenZ/preview" style="width:100%;max-width:896px;height:672px"></iframe>
After you finish the reading, you decide to watch Professor Moro’s welcome video for the undergrad students you’ll be supervising at the dig site. ]
(click: "welcome video for the undergrad students")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<iframe src="https://gauchocast.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=59eaa624-b3c7-449f-8f4c-b0430170a3da&autoplay=false&offerviewer=true&showtitle=true&showbrand=true&captions=true&interactivity=all" height="405" width="720" style="border: 1px solid #464646;" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay"></iframe>
After watching the video and doing the reading, you decide to head outside for a walk to clear your head and take in some of the cool evening air. As you leave Lisa’s house, you text Fede to ask if she’d like to join you.]
(click: "to join you")+(t8n:'dissolve')[You (text-style:"sway")[wander ]through the streets...
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/9f58e9a331171d63f6add8c7b98cab36/60ea7a6f59ea361a-ff/s1280x1920/5ce934d15227235abef1de1db3a70978a44dbd90.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
After a while, you check your phone and see that Fede has asked you to meet her at a gelateria on via dei Coronari. You look on Google Maps and see that it’s not far away, just to the north of Piazza Navona, where the Stadium of Domitian once was.
Before long, you’re passing through Piazza Navona...
...into a narrow side street that brings you to an old Baroque church called Santa Maria della Pace. ]
(click: "Santa Maria della Pace")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/93470135b8e82501c8842c3103d4e3bc/40f927e0207b341b-db/s1280x1920/babf77353a38fb472bcf4a8d83063fbd7cdabfc5.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
You continue on past the church though an old stone archway, and before long, you’re walking down via dei Coronari, looking into the windows of the various antique shops that line the street as you go.
Then you see Fede up ahead, standing in front of a gelateria and waving to catch your eye. She smiles as you approach and beckons you to follow her inside.
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/ab516025126593aa6879eb979d52de9c/42f36f48159bce58-61/s1280x1920/de0c98420aeca5886eb5f505aaeac1d40dacc627.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
[[You enter.|teatro]] ]
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(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]
Once inside the gelateria, you begin browsing the different flavors.
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/8139270db164496ae874d80c3f2fe414/59cdeb30a5ce32dd-c6/s1280x1920/b92d0a7ffb2ccf686de2579aaf8e680c2a514ade.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
“The fruit flavors are refreshing in Rome’s hot summer months,” Fede says. “I adore the //melone//, which is cantaloupe, and the //limone e basilico//, which is lemon with basil.”
(click: "fruit flavors")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Lemon with basil? Weird. We don’t have anything like that where I come from,” you say.
“Gelato here is very different than ice cream in America.”
“It is,” you agree, looking at a flavor marked //zafferano e cardemomo//, which you assume must be saffron and cardamom.
“But there are some flavors which are the same, like this one,” Fede says, pointing to a pale green ice cream with pieces of dark chocolate and fresh mint leaves, marked //stracciatella alla menta//. ]
(click: "stracciatella alla menta")+(t8n:'dissolve')[A man looks over at Fede, who says, “//Un cono con pistacchio e anche limone, per favore.//”
“//Con panna//?” the man asks, gesturing toward a canister of fresh whipped cream.
“//No, grazie//,” Fede replies.
The man fills her cone with green ice cream that you can see has little pieces of pistachio nuts, then another portion of lemon. He hands it to Fede, then looks at you and says, “//Buongiorno, posso aiutarLa//?”
“//Sì//,” you say. “//Vorrei...//
[[//...un cono con cioccolato fondente e stracciatella alla menta, per favore//.”|chocolate mint]]
[[//...un cono con melone e limone, per favore//.”|melon and lemon]]
]
(set: $progress to 2)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“//Va bene//,” the man says, putting a portion of very dark chocolate gelato onto a cone, topped by one with fresh mint and dark chocolate chips.
The man then points to the bowl of whipped cream. “//Panna//?” he asks.
[[“//Sì, grazie//,” you say.|panna]]
[[“//No, grazie//,” you answer.|no panna]]
(set: $progress to 3)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“//Va bene//,” the man says, putting what looks like lemon sorbet with flecks of basil leaf onto a cone, topped by another helping of cantaloupe, in which you can see tiny pieces of fresh cantaloupe.
The man then points to the bowl of whipped cream. “//Panna//?” he asks.
[[“//Sì, grazie//,” you say.|panna]]
[[“//No, grazie//,” you answer.|no panna]]
(set: $progress to 3)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“//Sì, grazie//,” you say, watching as the man tops your gelato with a large spoonful of whipped cream.
After paying at the //cassa//, you and Fede go outside and sit on the old stairs next to the gelateria.
(click: "sit on the old stairs")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/f8b00221e1bc9f8a807ce441cb30f9d1/99cb6e03ef8399a7-6e/s1280x1920/02a80184fc6284823eaaa1410d6b58421d2cd143.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
“This stairway is from the 13th century,” says Fede. “It was once part of an old theater which was quite famous in the medieval period.”
“So that’s why they named it Gelateria del Teatro.” ]
(click: "Teatro")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Indeed,” Fede says. “I thought you should taste some very good gelato before you begin your excavation. You leave soon?”
“Tomorrow,” you say. “I’m a little nervous. I’ll be supervising undergraduates in my own trench, and I feel like I’m just beginning to learn about archaeology myself.”
“This is okay, I think,” says Fede. “You will learn by //doing//, not just reading a book.”
“But I want to make sure I can answer their questions, you know?”
“Yes, of course,” Fede says. “Since we are sitting in part of an old theater, perhaps we might roleplay? I can be one of your undergraduate students, and you can be... well, you.” ]
(click: "roleplay")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Okay,” you say, taking a big bite of your gelato.
“I have a question, supervisor!”
You give Fede a look.
“Come, you must play the role seriously, or it will not work,” Fede says.
“Sure,” you say. “Yes, you there with the dirty fingernails. What’s your question?”
“My question, supervisor, is: ‘Can I just dig some holes straight down and see what comes up?’”
[[“Yes, that’s the fastest way to dig. In fact, it’s a good description of the Wheeler box-grid method.”|wheeler]]
[[“No, if you just dig holes, you’ll destroy the context and disrespect the stratigraphy.”|stratigraphy]] ]
(set: $progress to 4)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“//No, grazie//,” you say, and the man nods and hands you your gelato.
After paying at the //cassa//, you and Fede go outside and sit on the old stairs next to the gelateria.
(click: "sit on the old stairs")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/f8b00221e1bc9f8a807ce441cb30f9d1/99cb6e03ef8399a7-6e/s1280x1920/02a80184fc6284823eaaa1410d6b58421d2cd143.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
“This stairway is from the 13th century,” says Fede. “It was once part of an old theater which was quite famous in the medieval period.”
“So that’s why they named it Gelateria del Teatro.” ]
(click: "Teatro")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Indeed,” Fede says. “I thought you should taste some very good gelato before you begin your excavation. You leave soon?”
“Tomorrow,” you say. “I’m a little nervous. I’ll be supervising undergraduates in my own trench, and I feel like I’m just beginning to learn about archaeology myself.”
“This is okay, I think,” says Fede. “You will learn by //doing//, not just reading a book.”
“But I want to make sure I can answer their questions, you know?”
“Yes, of course,” Fede says. “Since we are sitting in part of an old theater, perhaps we might roleplay? I can be one of your undergraduate students, and you can be... well, you.” ]
(click: "roleplay")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Okay,” you say, taking a big bite of your gelato.
“I have a question, supervisor!”
You give Fede a look.
“Come, you must play the role seriously, or it will not work,” Fede says.
“Sure,” you say. “Yes, you there with the dirty fingernails. What’s your question?”
“My question, supervisor, is: ‘Can I just dig some holes straight down and see what comes up?’”
[[“Yes, that’s the fastest way to dig. In fact, it’s a good description of the Wheeler box-grid method.”|wheeler]]
[[“No, if you just dig holes, you’ll destroy the context and disrespect the stratigraphy.”|stratigraphy]] ]
(set: $progress to 4)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]Fede wrinkles her nose. “Eh... I believe that the Wheeler box-grid is something different. When speaking to the undergraduate students, you may want to emphasize this word... //stratigrafia// in Italiano... ‘stratigraphy’ in English, I believe.”
“Yeah, that’s it, stratigraphy,” you say. “I think it’s the study of archaeological layers. At least that’s what I’ve read.”
(click: "study of archaeological layers")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yes,” Fede says. “Each layer is called a ‘stratum’, and, eh... the plural is ‘strata.’ In every excavation where I have worked, we were always very careful to remove one stratum at a time. I was told by my professors that one must not dig a hole down too deeply, because then one is digging through many strata at once. My professors told me that a trench may be thought of as an onion, and that we must take away the layers one by one. They told me that stratigraphy tells us when in time the layers were put down — the lower the layer, the older it is, and the higher up, the more recent. This, if my English archaeology journals are correct, is called the ‘law of superposition,’ where the top layer is ‘younger,’ one might say.” ]
(click: "law of superposition")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I get it,” you say. “So if you were to just dig a narrow hole deep down, you’d have no larger context for what you found. You wouldn’t be focusing on the strata and what they can tell you, you’d only care about finding some artifact as fast as you can. But if you take the time to dig larger areas layer by layer, you’ll have the whole context of each layer, and you can learn a whole lot more. Assuming you record it properly, that is.”
“I geddit now!” Fede says, unsuccessfully imitating an American accent. “And I have yet another question!”]
(click: "another question")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Okay,” you say. “You in the front, with the Axl Rose bandana and the pickaxe. What’s your question?”
Fede hefts an imaginary pickaxe. “But how are we to know what is one stratum and what is the next?”
[[“Each stratum has a different color or consistency to it.”|color and consistency]]
[[“The strata look and feel the same, so archaeologists always separate each stratum from the next by using uniform measurements.”|measurements]] ]
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Fede smiles. “That is a good response; I think it will help your students. You may want to emphasize this concept... //stratigrafia// in Italiano... ‘stratigraphy’ in English, I believe.”
“Yeah, that’s it, stratigraphy,” you say. “I think it’s the study of archaeological layers. At least that’s what I’ve read.”
(click: "study of archaeological layers")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yes,” Fede says. “Each layer is called a ‘stratum’, and, eh... the plural is ‘strata.’ In every excavation where I have worked, we were always very careful to remove one stratum at a time. I was told by my professors that one must not dig a hole down too deeply, because then one is digging through many strata at once. My professors told me that a trench may be thought of as an onion, and that we must take away the layers one by one. They told me that stratigraphy tells us when in time the layers were put down — the lower the layer, the older it is, and the higher up, the more recent. This, if my English archaeology journals are correct, is called the ‘law of superposition,’ where the top layer is ‘younger,’ one might say.” ]
(click: "law of superposition")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I get it,” you say. “So if you were to just dig a narrow hole deep down, you’d have no larger context for what you found. You wouldn’t be focusing on the strata and what they can tell you, you’d only care about finding some artifact as fast as you can. But if you take the time to dig larger areas layer by layer, you’ll have the whole context of each layer, and you can learn a whole lot more. Assuming you record it properly, that is.”
“I geddit now!” Fede says, unsuccessfully imitating an American accent. “And I have yet another question!”]
(click: "another question")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Okay,” you say. “You in the front, with the Axl Rose bandana and the pickaxe. What’s your question?”
Fede hefts an imaginary pickaxe. “But how are we to know what is one stratum and what is the next?”
[[“Each stratum has a different color or consistency to it.”|color and consistency]]
[[“The strata look and feel the same, so archaeologists always separate each stratum from the next by using uniform measurements.”|measurements]] ]
(set: $progress to 5)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')] “Each stratum has a different color or consistency to it,” you say.
Fede nods. “That sounds like an answer my professors would agree with.” She calls up an image on her phone and shows it to you.
(click: "an image")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/f7166ff821e1ad5936bc00ebc01d2d2f/73861490487e9d9b-b0/s540x810/52e406ac7fcd0ad8fcc6a0b4912f4d369a82bd9d.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
“This is from a recent excavation I worked at earlier this season,” Fede says. “You can see the different strata very clearly: each is identified by a very different color, and some have inclusions in them, like pebbles or stones.” ]
(click: "inclusions")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yeah,” you say. “They look really different. So you saw, and felt, the change of the new stratum as you were digging?”
“Indeed,” Fede says. She smiles and remarks, “I enjoy this pretending to be a young field student,” then tilts her head. “Do many students from the United States come to Italy to work on an archaeological dig? The Americans I see drinking in the Campo de’ Fiori bars, these I think are students who take courses, but who are not excavating.” ]
(click: "archaeological")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I don’t think that many American undergrads come to dig, probably because most don’t know they can do it. I know we listed our dig site with the Archaeological Institute of America. They have a search engine where you can find projects all over the world. Some give you course credit, and others let you volunteer, I think. Here,” you say, finding the site on your phone, “I’ll give you the link in case you want to take a look.” You copy this link, <a href="https://www.archaeological.org/programs/professionals/fieldwork/afob/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(text-colour:blue)[https://www.archaeological.org/programs/professionals/fieldwork/afob/]</a> and text it to Fede.
“Grazie,” Fede says, glancing at her phone. “And I have one final question, supervisor!”
“Yes,” you say, “you there with the trowel and cowboy hat. What’s your question?”
“What do we do with artifacts if we find any?”
[[“Put artifacts you find in ziplock bags, and we’ll document it all later.”|later]]
[[“First, assign a specific number to each artifact you find.”|number]] ]
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(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“The strata look and feel the same, so archaeologists always separate each stratum from the next by using uniform measurements,” you say.
“Eh... no,” says Fede. “In my experience at excavations, each stratum has a distinct color and feel.” She calls up an image on her phone and shows it to you.
(click: "an image")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/f7166ff821e1ad5936bc00ebc01d2d2f/73861490487e9d9b-b0/s540x810/52e406ac7fcd0ad8fcc6a0b4912f4d369a82bd9d.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
“This is from a recent excavation I worked at earlier this season,” Fede says. “You can see the different strata very clearly: each is identified by a very different color, and some have inclusions in them, like pebbles or stones.” ]
(click: "inclusions")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yeah,” you say. “They look really different. So you saw, and felt, the change of the new stratum as you were digging?”
“Indeed,” Fede says. She smiles and remarks, “I enjoy this pretending to be a young field student,” then tilts her head. “Do many students from the United States come to Italy to work on an archaeological dig? The Americans I see drinking in the Campo de’ Fiori bars, these I think are students who take courses, but who are not excavating.” ]
(click: "archaeological")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I don’t think that many American undergrads come to dig, probably because most don’t know they can do it. I know we listed our dig site with the Archaeological Institute of America. They have a search engine where you can find projects all over the world. Some give you course credit, and others let you volunteer, I think. Here,” you say, finding the site on your phone, “I’ll give you the link in case you want to take a look.” You copy this link, <a href="https://www.archaeological.org/programs/professionals/fieldwork/afob/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(text-colour:blue)[https://www.archaeological.org/programs/professionals/fieldwork/afob/]</a> and text it to Fede.
“Grazie,” Fede says, glancing at her phone. “And I have one final question, supervisor!”
“Yes,” you say, “you there with the trowel and cowboy hat. What’s your question?”
“What do we do with artifacts if we find any?”
[[“Put artifacts you find in ziplock bags, and we’ll document it all later.”|later]]
[[“First, assign a specific number to each artifact you find.”|number]] ]
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(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“Place all the artifacts you find in one ziplock bag and save them for documentation at the end of the digging season,” you say.
Fede winces. “I believe each find should be documented immediately. The first step usually is to assign each artifact a specific number. This is how Italian archaeologists work.”
“Same for Americans, now that I think of it,” you say. “I remember hearing that now, from a video my advisor sent.”
“Documentation is of the utmost importance,” Fede says.
(click: "Documentation")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yeah — we’ll have to be careful to record everything while we’re in the field,” you say. “I’m trying to put it together in my head now. Each stratum has its own designated number, and... we’ll also have to give each artifact a specific number so that when we study it later, we’ll know exactly where it came from, and what other objects it was found with.”
“Yes,” Fede says. “This recording of the context will aid you to date any objects you may find, and allow future researchers to better study them. I believe a lab can also be useful in classifying objects by analyzing the surface, shape, and way the object was made. These methods may also be used after the excavation has occurred. Sometimes, you will be washing the pottery fragments you found during the day when you return to your residences in the evening. And then specialists, who are part of your team, will analyze them in the lab the next day, when you are on site.” ]
(click: "analyze them")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I can’t wait,” you say.
After you both finish your gelato, Fede takes you on a little tour. You begin by walking toward the Tiber River, which is only a few blocks away. You cross the river using the Sant’Angelo Bridge, which leads to a wide cylindrical tower.
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/e9a92aceff0a8a93d6800dc1fccd314c/aaba9db573046073-4c/s1280x1920/11cd7ca904398952403b5683346d1cf08010dffb.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
Fede tells you that this tower, called the Castel Sant’Angelo, was originally the massive tomb of Emperor Hadrian. It was finished in 139 CE, the year after Hadrian died, and it was later made into a fortress that was used by the popes. ]
(click: "fortress")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Now,” says Fede, pointing up at the tower, “it is a museum.”
After you pass the Castel Sant’Angelo, you climb several sets of stairs that take you up to the Janiculum Hill. “Cleopatra had her villa here,” Fede says, “when she was away from Egypt visiting her lover, Julius Caesar.”
“She picked a place with a nice view,” you say, looking out over the city.]
(click: "looking out over the city")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/223d22c96307b776b87c344c0c433792/c6ac2ce302ddfad4-d3/s1280x1920/0d949ec8792299a6931f3b054f0eada908460060.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
You walk along the Janiculum, admiring the view, then descend another series of steps down to a bustling part of old Rome, which Fede says is called Trastevere. “It means across the //Tevere//, which is the Italian name for the River Tiber.”]
(click: "Trastevere")+(t8n:'dissolve')[You walk through winding streets, some crowded with people...
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/917f22995973fd7e5667cfcf22955337/e83f417dd07659e3-f1/s1280x1920/f130359084c0b63fbc61f78de1504a61a7116d37.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
... while others feel relatively empty and quiet.
Eventually, you cross the river again, using another old bridge, the Ponte Sisto (named after Pope Sixtus IV, Fede tells you, who rebuilt the old Roman bridge that preceded it). From there, Campo de’ Fiori is just a short walk away. ]
(click: "Campo")+(t8n:'dissolve')[Once you arrive back at Lisa’s house, Fede wishes you the best of luck with your excavation. “In Rome, we say //In bocca al lupo//. It means ‘good luck.’ So now you must say //Crepi il lupo!//”
“Say what, Fede?”
“You must respond with //Crepi il lupo//, or simply //Crepi!//”
“//Crepi!//” you say.
She sighs with relief. “We Italians are superstitious.”
“I still don’t understand what I just said. What’s this about a lupo?”
“It is complicated,” she says. “What is important is that you will have good fortune on this excavation. Ciao!” Fede turns to leave.
“Ciao!” you shout. Then you go into Lisa’s house and head straight up the stairs to bed, so you can get a good night’s sleep before the first day of the dig.
You [[wake up early the next morning, feeling refreshed.]] ]
(set: $progress to 7)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“First, assign a specific number to each artifact you find,” you say.
“Yes, this is how Italian archaeologists work,” Fede says.
“Same for Americans, I think. I remember it from the video my advisor sent out.”
“Documentation is of the utmost importance,” Fede says.
(click: "Documentation")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Yeah — we’ll have to be careful to record everything while we’re in the field,” you say. “I’m trying to put it together in my head now. Each stratum has its own designated number, and... we’ll also have to give each artifact a specific number so that when we study it later, we’ll know exactly where it came from, and what other objects it was found with.”
“Yes,” Fede says. “This recording of the context will aid you to date any objects you may find, and allow future researchers to better study them. I believe a lab can also be useful in classifying objects by analyzing the surface, shape, and way the object was made. These methods may also be used after the excavation has occurred. Sometimes, you will be washing the pottery fragments you found during the day when you return to your residences in the evening. And then specialists, who are part of your team, will analyze them in the lab the next day, when you are on site.” ]
(click: "analyze them")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I can’t wait,” you say.
After you both finish your gelato, Fede takes you on a little tour. You begin by walking toward the Tiber River, which is only a few blocks away. You cross the river using the Sant’Angelo Bridge, which leads to a wide cylindrical tower.
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/e9a92aceff0a8a93d6800dc1fccd314c/aaba9db573046073-4c/s1280x1920/11cd7ca904398952403b5683346d1cf08010dffb.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
Fede tells you that this tower, called the Castel Sant’Angelo, was originally the massive tomb of Emperor Hadrian. It was finished in 139 CE, the year after Hadrian died, and it was later made into a fortress that was used by the popes. ]
(click: "fortress")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Now,” says Fede, pointing up at the tower, “it is a museum.”
After you pass the Castel Sant’Angelo, you climb several sets of stairs that take you up to the Janiculum Hill. “Cleopatra had her villa here,” Fede says, “when she was away from Egypt visiting her lover, Julius Caesar.”
“She picked a place with a nice view,” you say, looking out over the city.]
(click: "looking out over the city")+(t8n:'dissolve')[<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/223d22c96307b776b87c344c0c433792/c6ac2ce302ddfad4-d3/s1280x1920/0d949ec8792299a6931f3b054f0eada908460060.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
You walk along the Janiculum, admiring the view, then descend another series of steps down to a bustling part of old Rome, which Fede says is called Trastevere. “It means across the //Tevere//, which is the Italian name for the River Tiber.”]
(click: "Trastevere")+(t8n:'dissolve')[You walk through winding streets, some crowded with people...
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/917f22995973fd7e5667cfcf22955337/e83f417dd07659e3-f1/s1280x1920/f130359084c0b63fbc61f78de1504a61a7116d37.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:896px">
... while others feel relatively empty and quiet.
Eventually, you cross the river again, using another old bridge, the Ponte Sisto (named after Pope Sixtus IV, Fede tells you, who rebuilt the old Roman bridge that preceded it). From there, Campo de’ Fiori is just a short walk away. ]
(click: "Campo")+(t8n:'dissolve')[Once you arrive back at Lisa’s house, Fede wishes you the best of luck with your excavation. “In Rome, we say //In bocca al lupo//. It means ‘good luck.’ So now you must say //Crepi il lupo!//”
“Say what, Fede?”
“You must respond with //Crepi il lupo//, or simply //Crepi!//”
“//Crepi!//” you say.
She sighs with relief. “We Italians are superstitious.”
“I still don’t understand what I just said. What’s this about a lupo?”
“It is complicated,” she says. “What is important is that you will have good fortune on this excavation. Ciao!” Fede turns to leave.
“Ciao!” you shout. Then you go into Lisa’s house and head straight up the stairs to bed, so you can get a good night’s sleep before the first day of the dig.
You [[wake up early the next morning, feeling refreshed.]] ]
(set: $progress to 7)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]You shower, drink down some coffee (not forgetting to feed Spike), and take the bus to the station.
You buy a ticket, then run to find the correct //binario// (platform) for your specific bus.
You hop on and find your seat, and soon you’re off. When you arrive — on time, fortunately — you’re met by the Italian co-director of the dig: a short, stocky man named Rosario, who has a thick, dark beard. You find that you are part of a larger group of American students.
(click: "American")+(t8n:'dissolve')[Your group drives in a couple of old Fiats to the dig site, which is in the countryside near a small town. Rosario is driving the car you’re in as if it were a Ferrari. He has all the car windows down, with the radio blaring Italian pop music.
“The name of this place,” shouts Rosario over the hot summer wind and loud music, “...this name is //Casavenere//. It mean... it means the House of //Venere//. //Venere//, she is... eh, the sexy goddess Venus!”
“The House of Venus?” you say. “Do you think they named it that because there used to be...
[[...a brothel here?”|brothel]]
[[...a temple to Venus here?”|temple]] ]
(set: $progress to 8)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“The House of Venus?” you say. “Do you think they named it that because there used to be a brothel here?”
“Brothel?? Because the sexy goddess??” Rosario shouts over his shoulder to you as he swings the car dangerously fast around a corner. “The old people here say, this place, in ancient times, it belong to the goddess. Maybe a brothel, but I think is more possible there was a temple here.” He shrugs. “Or maybe a different reason for this name, //Casavenere//.”
(click: "was a temple here")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I guess the local folklore can be interpreted in different ways,” you say.
“Sì, sì!” bellows Rosario. “Many possibilities, many theories. There was also some //tomba//, the tombs, very close.”
“Tombs?”
“Sì! Many things been found here, through many years. The first dig was with the //Sapienza// archaeologists, they come in 1966, for each summer to dig here, until... eh... 1974. Yes, 1974. They find eh... a trash... no, eh, they find many statues, they have been damaged, the nose scratched away, the head, the limbs broke away. The marble statues... these maybe are broke on purpose for the lime kilns. You know these?” ]
(click: "broke on purpose for the lime kilns")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Lime kilns?”
“Sì sì, this was the common thing in the Late Antique time, and many lime kilns were in big houses, with many broke statues near.”
“So, many statues have been found here,” you ask, “from excavations between 1966 and 1974? Will there be anything left? I mean, won’t they have already found everything worth finding?”
Rosario laughs. “No, no! We think they miss many things. We use the, eh — the magnetometer, the other survey methods. In the sixties and seventies, they don’t do things so scientific.”
“I’ve seen some of the new survey images,” you say.
“Eh?” Rosario yells. ]
(click: "Rosario yells")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I said, I’ve seen some of the survey images!” you yell back.
“Sì, sì,” Rosario says, turning around to wink at you. “We know there is yet much reason to dig!”
“I hope so,” you say, and then you notice that Rosario has let the old Fiat drift into the lane with oncoming traffic, and that a truck is fast approaching. “There’s a, a truck coming—” you say urgently. ]
(click: "a truck coming")+(t8n:'dissolve')[Rosario turns back and nonchalantly swings the wheel, bringing the Fiat back into the proper lane just as the truck passes. He continues driving like this the rest of the way, while singing along to the radio.
When you arrive at the site, you’re sweaty and slightly shaken, but you’re excited to begin digging. Rosario shows you and your team of undergrads to your trench, which, he says, includes a buried wall — or should, if his interpretation of the magnetometry is correct. “Is maybe part of temple complex,” he tells you.
“That’s a good working theory,” you say. “We’ll see if we anything we find confirms it.”
“Va bene,” Rosario says as he starts to walk away. “In bocca al lupo!”
You search your memory for the right response...
[["Crotti!"]]
[["Crepi!"]]]
(set: $progress to 9)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“The House of Venus?” you say. “Do you think they named it that because there used to be a temple here?”
“//Forse//, yes... maybe!” Rosario shouts over his shoulder to you as he swings the car dangerously fast around a corner. “The old people here say, this place, in ancient times, it belong to the goddess. Maybe there was a temple here.” He shrugs. “Or maybe a different reason for this name, //Casavenere//.”
(click: "was a temple here")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I guess the local folklore can be interpreted in different ways,” you say.
“Sì, sì!” bellows Rosario. “Many possibilities, many theories. There was also some //tomba//, the tombs, very close.”
“Tombs?”
“Sì! Many things been found here, through many years. The first dig was with the //Sapienza// archaeologists, they come in 1966, for each summer to dig here, until... eh... 1974. Yes, 1974. They find eh... a trash... no, eh, they find many statues, they have been damaged, the nose scratched away, the head, the limbs broke away. The marble statues... these maybe are broke on purpose for the lime kilns. You know these?” ]
(click: "broke on purpose for the lime kilns")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Lime kilns?”
“Sì sì, this was the common thing in the Late Antique time, and many lime kilns were in big houses, with many broke statues near.”
“So, many statues have been found here,” you ask, “from excavations between 1966 and 1974? Will there be anything left? I mean, won’t they have already found everything worth finding?”
Rosario laughs. “No, no! We think they miss many things. We use the, eh — the magnetometer, the other survey methods. In the sixties and seventies, they don’t do things so scientific.”
“I’ve seen some of the new survey images,” you say.
“Eh?” Rosario yells. ]
(click: "Rosario yells")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“I said, I’ve seen some of the survey images!” you yell back.
“Sì, sì,” Rosario says, turning around to wink at you. “We know there is yet much reason to dig!”
“I hope so,” you say, and then you notice that Rosario has let the old Fiat drift into the lane with oncoming traffic, and that a truck is fast approaching. “There’s a, a truck coming—” you say urgently. ]
(click: "a truck coming")+(t8n:'dissolve')[Rosario turns back and nonchalantly swings the wheel, bringing the Fiat back into the proper lane just as the truck passes. He continues driving like this the rest of the way, while singing along to the radio.
When you arrive at the site, you’re sweaty and slightly shaken, but you’re excited to begin digging. Rosario shows you and your team of undergrads to your trench, which, he says, includes a buried wall — or should, if his interpretation of the magnetometry is correct. “Is maybe part of temple complex,” he tells you.
“That’s a good working theory,” you say. “We’ll see if we anything we find confirms it.”
“Va bene,” Rosario says as he starts to walk away. “In bocca al lupo!”
You search your memory for the right response...
[["Crotti!"]]
[["Crepi!"]]]
(set: $progress to 9)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]Rosario raises an eyebrow. “//Si dice, ‘Crepi!’//”
“Oh, sorry!” you say. “//Crepi!//”
“Sì, Sì,” he says, clapping, as he heads toward another group some distance away.
(click: "toward another group")+(t8n:'dissolve')[You turn to your team of undergraduates, who are looking at the ground in front of you. The trench has been marked out, and there are stakes at each corner. The ground has weeds growing out of it, as well as some rocks. You stamp the ground with your boot and find that it’s dense and hard.
You look at the tools that have been laid out next to your area and consider which one to start with. One of your students asks, “Uh, should we start with a trowel? We don’t want to break anything, right?” ]
(click: "break anything")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Nah,” says another student. “It’ll take forever if you do that. You gotta start with the pickaxe. Probably won’t need that trowel at all.”
As you consider their advice, you squint up at the blazing sun and take a swig from your water bottle. You realize that if you and your students aren’t careful, you could easily get heat stroke out here, or hurt yourselves. You could also damage potential artifacts and features.
“How do you want us to start?” asks a third student. ]
(click: "How do you want us to start")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Do as I do,” you say, doing your best to sound confident.
Before you begin digging, you remember that your advisor / dig director has asked you to turn in an entry from your excavation journal when you’ve finished your first day working on the site. ]
(click: "your excavation journal")+(t8n:'dissolve')[//Please first download and save the Chapter 7 Writing Assignment directly below, then read the instructions underneath the writing assignment for how to enter the mandatory digital excavation “minigame.” //
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1diBi4OLMPjcuw8lfNVdl_CeqCXCrHxME/preview" style="width:100%;max-width:896px;height:672px"></iframe>
DIGITAL EXCAVATION MINIGAME INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Click on the link below or paste this URL (http://128.111.216.64/) into a new browser window. We highly recommend you use Google Chrome to play this game.
<a href="http://128.111.216.64/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(text-colour:blue)[Casavenere: The Game]</a>
The game will begin loading automatically. Please allow up to 10-15 minutes for it to load. If it is having trouble or taking too long, try closing out other tabs, restarting your browser and closing other programs.
2. Maximize or fullscreen your browser window. If the black window with the loading screen is being truncated at the bottom or top of the browser tab, you might need to zoom out slightly (cmd + - on Mac, ctrl + - on Windows). This will ensure nothing in the game’s window is being cut off from your view.
3. Once the game loads, press “Play” to begin. You will watch a short cutscene and pass through some interactive dialogue before gameplay begins. If you wish to repeat the opening sequence before you start to play, simply refresh your browser to reload the game.
4. Once the game ends, the credits screen will display a button that allows you to download a PDF. Make sure to click this button, since you will need a copy of your PDF for Week 7’s Section. Clicking the button will open the PDF in your browser. Please save it locally by downloading it using the button in the top right (for Chrome).
5. Complete the Chapter 7 Writing Assignment (see above).
6. If you experience any technical issues or have questions while playing the game, please email Tyler Johnson at [email protected]. ]
(set: $progress to 10)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]“//Crepi!//” you say.
“Sì, Sì,” he says, clapping, as he heads toward another group some distance away.
(click: "toward another group")+(t8n:'dissolve')[You turn to your team of undergraduates, who are looking at the ground in front of you. The trench has been marked out, and there are stakes at each corner. The ground has weeds growing out of it, as well as some rocks. You stamp the ground with your boot and find that it’s dense and hard.
You look at the tools that have been laid out next to your area and consider which one to start with. One of your students asks, “Uh, should we start with a trowel? We don’t want to break anything, right?” ]
(click: "break anything")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Nah,” says another student. “It’ll take forever if you do that. You gotta start with the pickaxe. Probably won’t need that trowel at all.”
As you consider their advice, you squint up at the blazing sun and take a swig from your water bottle. You realize that if you and your students aren’t careful, you could easily get heat stroke out here, or hurt yourselves. You could also damage potential artifacts and features.
“How do you want us to start?” asks a third student. ]
(click: "How do you want us to start")+(t8n:'dissolve')[“Do as I do,” you say, doing your best to sound confident.
Before you begin digging, you remember that your advisor / dig director has asked you to turn in an entry from your excavation journal when you’ve finished your first day working on the site. ]
(click: "your excavation journal")+(t8n:'dissolve')[//Please first download and save the Chapter 7 Writing Assignment directly below, then read the instructions underneath the writing assignment for how to enter the mandatory digital excavation “minigame.” //
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1diBi4OLMPjcuw8lfNVdl_CeqCXCrHxME/preview" style="width:100%;max-width:896px;height:672px"></iframe>
DIGITAL EXCAVATION MINIGAME INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Click on the link below or paste this URL (http://128.111.216.64/) into a new browser window. We highly recommend you use Google Chrome to play this game.
<a href="http://128.111.216.64/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(text-colour:blue)[Casavenere: The Game]</a>
The game will begin loading automatically. Please allow up to 10-15 minutes for it to load. If it is having trouble or taking too long, try closing out other tabs, restarting your browser and closing other programs.
2. Maximize or fullscreen your browser window. If the black window with the loading screen is being truncated at the bottom or top of the browser tab, you might need to zoom out slightly (cmd + - on Mac, ctrl + - on Windows). This will ensure nothing in the game’s window is being cut off from your view.
3. Once the game loads, press “Play” to begin. You will watch a short cutscene and pass through some interactive dialogue before gameplay begins. If you wish to repeat the opening sequence before you start to play, simply refresh your browser to reload the game.
4. Once the game ends, the credits screen will display a button that allows you to download a PDF. Make sure to click this button, since you will need a copy of your PDF for Week 7’s Section. Clicking the button will open the PDF in your browser. Please save it locally by downloading it using the button in the top right (for Chrome).
5. Complete the Chapter 7 Writing Assignment (see above).
6. If you experience any technical issues or have questions while playing the game, please email Tyler Johnson at [email protected]. ]
(set: $progress to 10)
(float-box: "x====", "Y====")+(css: "font-size: 60%;")[Progress
(print: '<progress value="' + (text: $progress) + '" max="10"></progress>')]