After breakfast we're taken to Dr Susan's site, where upon arrival am greeted by the site of her surveying the area, with a couple of her students holding up the obligatory measuring stick (my apologies, I'm sure this has a more technical term, but sadly everyone's gone to bed, and I really need to get this thing posted.
Nearby we've had two squares set up, upon which we're to practice our digging and excavation skills. My group naturally has the rockier of the two squares, so our particular excavation isn't as "flat" as the other one. I do however succeed in unearthing my first piece of pottery. Nothing to get too excited over, this is a section of what would have been the rim of a large storage jar, possibly used for water or wine (so I'd like to believe anyway).
This particular area also serves to get a better look and perspective of the site as a whole. Behind me you can hopefully see an example of some of the ruins imbedded in the tell - it's hard to believe that this particular hill, not so long ago (in the grand scheme of things), didn't exist as such, but in its place was a thriving little city state. Chrisso and Davis should also note that I'm busy pimping the Troy Horse brand in this little corner of the Middle East, amongst thousands of years of history and culture. Even gave a super impressive sales pitch when Olivia from New Orleans asked about the t-shirt. You're Welcome!!
After finishing up at Twelve, we're back at camp, I manage to get a quick laundry session in before lunch (I Looove laundry - serously, ask my wife). Following lunch is free time, once again till 4pm, following which we have Part 2 of Cheryl and Dr Susan's crash course in dig documentation. This time we're divided into room teams, where we're given the task of doing a Top Plan of our bed room. I'm bunking with young Sam and Court, and this may prove to be problematic, since our room currently looks like what you'd expect of the average teenage male (I haven't had a chance to organise the place properly, honestly). Every single length and width of every single object is to be documented, to scale.
You may think this would prove to be a problem, and I happen to agree. Court suggests we empty our room of everything and just give them a blank sheet of paper, but I suggest that, with everyone being as tired and flushed as we are (did I mention it was hot as hell outside?), the good Dr Susan and Cheryl may fail to see the humour in such an exercise. So we get to work, I start by doing all the outer dimensions and "big stuff", and Court taking over to finish the remaining chairs and any small incidental objects that haven't been "hidden" by yours truly (nothing like tampering with the evidence for the sake of easier documentation).
As it works out Court is a natural with the drawing, homeboy should have been doing this from the start. Although we'd be judged more by accuracy than by presentation, I've seen enough of these Top Plans to know that presentation goes a LOOOONG way. As it turns out, our team came second, which I thought was quite impressive (and particularly satisfying is the fact that we beat Liz's team, she being so insistent that they would win. Damn Americans, so competitive!!!).
Dinner tonight. Awesome!!
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