Category Archives: Uncategorized

So it’s our 5th day in the field today. The view from our worksite is really beautiful, and although it is very dry here has a really amazing, picturesque view with the pristine waters surrounding us, the stepped pas and … Continue reading →

Dear Dig Diaries, It’s becoming increasingly difficult to wake up in the mornings despite the sheep calling in our ears. However, once we are up and running its all action at base camp (queue epic explosion soundtrack). Bags packed, sunscreen … Continue reading →

For most people archaeology is excavation.  Although (as you have noticed by the previous two blogs) this is definitely not true, that was the main task assigned to us for the last three days. We learned new techniques like spade … Continue reading →

Dear Dig Diaries After waking up refreshed from a deep sleep in a tent (who would have known) we dived into another day of uncovering New Zealand archaeology on Great Mercury Island. With trowels, spades and developing blisters the excavation … Continue reading →

Dear Dig Diaries, We arrived on the island on a beautiful, sunny, cloudless day via charter boat from Whitianga Marina.  The journey over was beautiful, uneventful and relaxing. On arriving at Ahuahu/Great Mercury Island (also known as GMI) we unloaded … Continue reading →

At the end of November 2012 a small group of archaeologists spent a week on Great Mercury Island. The intention was to carry out small excavations on the two sites selected for excavation by the Fieldschool in February 2013, to … Continue reading →

We only had one week to complete the excavation on the beach, begun in February. We began by clearing away the sand covering to excavation until we reached the protective layer of tarpaulin covering the archaeological material still in situ. … Continue reading →

Eager to get back out to Ahuahu, a small group of us returned to the island in June to continue excavations not completed in February. The June crew consisted of Simon, Louise, Peter, Pete, Alex, Rod, Ben Davies, Ben Jones, … Continue reading →

The field work may be over, but some of the most interesting aspects of this project are just beginning! The archaeology field school is part of a 3rd year course in Anthropology ‘Field Methods in Archaeology‘ that teaches students how … Continue reading →

The last few days on Ahuahu Great Mercury Island were hectic and the weather was not particularly obliging. We had intense heat, then rain and strong winds from the north west with our dune excavation was in its direct path. … Continue reading →