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Zagora dig blog

Wild weather prevents work at Zagora

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Choppy waves at Batsi
Choppy waves at Batsi on Thursday 23 October 2014. The team stays at Batsi on Andros while working on the Zagora Archaeological Project (ZAP). © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Online content producer

The Zagora directors check the weather forecasts assiduously to help plan whether or not it is safe to work on site at Zagora. If wind at Beaufort 9 or higher, or heavy, constant rain is forecast, the directors cancel work on site for that day. Although everyone is keen to complete as much work to as high a standard as possible during the season, safety is paramount, and risk is assessed in order to be minimised at every step.

Team members are advised at dinner the night before if work is not to proceed on site the following day. If work on site at Zagora is not possible, all team members are allocated to other important project tasks.

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Paul Donnelly does an ABC-Radio interview from Andros

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Paul Donnelly doing a radio interview from Stavropeda
Paul Donnelly doing an interview with Simon Marnie from ABC-Radio, early in the morning (Greek time) yesterday from Stavropeda, up the long steep path from Zagora. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

Yesterday morning at Stavropeda, before walking down the steep rocky path to Zagora, Paul Donnelly (archaeologist and also decorative arts curator at the Powerhouse Museum which is a partner in the Zagora project), was interviewed by Simon Marnie from ABC-Radio about the Zagora Archaeological Project.

This was the second interview Paul has done with Simon about the project, and a third is planned to take place after the excavations finish in a week.

The 12-minute interview is scheduled to be aired some time between 10am and 11.15am, on Sunday 26 October 2014 (Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time).

Residue analysis – another technique to help understand the Zagora settlement

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Specialist Work – Dr Maria Roumpou – Residue Analyst

Dr Maria Roumpou, archaeological residue analysis specialist
Dr Maria Roumpou, archaeological residue analysis specialist. © AAIA; photo by Annette Dukes
by Hannah Gwyther, Archaeologist
and Maria Roumpou, Archaeological Residue Analyst

Residue analysis focuses on the extraction and interpretation of organic remnants found within artefacts at a molecular level. Chemical analysis of organic residues has greatly expanded in the last three decades and widespread evidence for the survival of organic residues associated mainly with pottery vessels has been demonstrated, although advances are shown in the analysis and recovery of organic molecules from several categories of archaeological finds. Careful processing of any remaining residue either visible (infrequent) or absorbed can provide an understanding of the usage and function of artefacts.

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Public invitation to tour the Zagora archaeological site – 25 October 2014 

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Zagora as seen from the path
Zagora as seen from the path
by Irma Havlicek
Web Content Producer

The directors of the Zagora Archaeological Project extend an invitation to all people living in or staying on Andros to a tour of this significant c. 900-700BCE settlement site on Saturday 25 October 2014. 

The tour will be led by the directors of the project, Professor Meg Miller and Associate Professor Lesley Beaumont (both from the University of Sydney) and Dr Stavros Paspalas (Deputy Director of the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens). 

Someone from Andros Routes will meet you at the small church at the top of the path at Stavropeda at 10am for the walk down to the site. The path to the site is marked by a red and white sign with a ‘7’ on it. Information about the path is on the Andros Routes website.

The tour will commence at 11am from the ‘dig hut’ – the stone building near the entrance to the site, just over the field wall. 

Here is a poster in Greek about the tour.

There will also be an evening information about Zagora at the Municipal Cinema, Chora, at 7pm on Thursday 6 November, also presented by the Zagora Archaeological Project directors. More information about that soon.

Researching Zagora textile tools

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The work of Dr Joanne Cutler, archaeological textile tools specialist

Dr Jo Cutler holding the discoid loom weight
Dr Jo Cutler holding the discoid loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
This week, Jo Cutler has been with us, working in the Andros Archaeological Museum, researching tools used in making textiles, in the case of Zagora, loom weights and spindle whorls.

Her work on Iron Age textile tools is part of a European Research Council (ERC) funded project, Production and Consumption: Textile Economy and Urbanisation in Mediterranean Europe 1000-500BCE (PROCON). The project is based at the University of Cambridge. Other members of the project team are Margarita Gleba (Principal Investigator) and Susanna Harris.

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Induction of ZAP team 2

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Briefing session for those beginning participation in ZAP 2014 in the second half of the season
Meg Miller giving the briefing session on Monday morning 13 October in the Kantouni dining room to those participating in the Zagora 2014 excavations for the first time. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

As you probably know by now, some excavators work on the six-week Zagora Archaeological Project (ZAP) for the entire six weeks, some for weeks 1-3 and some for weeks 4-6.

Those working only the second half generally arrived last weekend, and received a briefing from ZAP project director, Meg Miller, in the Kantouni dining room on the morning of Monday 13 October.

This was followed by the usual daily drive to Stavropeda, some 20 minutes from our accommodation in Batsi, and then the half-hour or so walk down to Zagora.

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Adam Carr’s first 2014 Zagora trench team

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Adam Carr
Site supervisor, Adam Carr. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

Here are some photos of the team who worked under Adam Carr’s supervision for the first three weeks of the 2014 excavations.

The 2013 site plan, showing the trenches that were excavated last year is at the bottom of this post. The trench supervised by Adam is in the vicinity of trench numbers 3 and 8 as marked on the 2013 plan below. More information about this area of Zagora is in last year’s post about Excavation Area 3.

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Mel Melnyczek’s / Hannah Gwyther’s first 2014 Zagora trench team – Trench 7

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Hannah Gwyther
Hannah Gwyther. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

Here are some photos of the team who worked on Mel Melnyczek’s trench for the first three weeks of the 2014 excavations. He’s not in these photographs because he injured his ankle on the steep and rocky path down to Zagora and had to stay off the ankle for some time before returning to the trench supervision.

A very experienced member of his trench team who had been designated as the ‘second-in-command’, Hannah Gwyther, agreed to supervise the trench in his absence. She and Mel discussed progress daily so that Mel remained informed about, and guided, developments.

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Andrew Moore’s / Paul Donnelly’s first 2014 Zagora trench team – Trench 6

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Andrew Moore
Andrew Moore, who supervised Trench 6 for three weeks until Paul Donnelly could arrive from Australia. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

Here are some photos of the team who worked on Trench 6 for the first three weeks of the 2014 excavations. The excavation here was supervised by Andrew Moore for the first three weeks of the 2014 season because Paul Donnelly, who supervised the area last year, was unable to participate in the season until about half way through.

Paul met with Andrew on the last day of the first three weeks of excavation, Friday 10 October, and they discussed progress and perspectives on the trench so Paul could effectively resume the supervision.

The 2013 site plan showing trench locations in 2013 is at the bottom of this post. For more information about this part of Zagora, see last year’s post on Excavation Area 5.

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Ivana Vetta’s first 2014 Zagora trench team – Trench 5

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Ivana Vetta, trench supervisor, on site at Zagora
Ivana Vetta, supervisor of Trench 5, on site at Zagora. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
by Irma Havlicek
Web content producer

Here are some photos of the team who worked on Trench 5 under Ivana Vetta’s supervision for the first three weeks of the 2014 excavations.

The 2013 site plan, showing the 2013 trench locations, is at the bottom of this post. Trench 5 was described on this blog last year as Excavation Area 1.

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