Villa Magna

Why record weekly site summaries?

In 2008 we have decided to record the weekly summary of each area, as presented at site tours, in a more formal way on the website. There have been a number of discussions about whether this is worthwhile, here are a few of the benefits that have come up during the debate.

Evolving Interpretation (and settling bets) : As we dig the site, a number of theories are created to explain the archaeology we are uncovering. Sometimes these are right, and sometimes they are not. Sometimes there are disputes in interpretation. Sometimes a friendly beer may be wagered in the process. I think these discussions are an important part of the process of interpreting the site, and it is therefore valuable to be able to go back in time and see how our understanding has developed.

Write-up : The final write up for each area will be a lot easier if the process has been documented along the way. Starting from scratch at the end of July it can be difficult to remember what was hacked out in the first week of June.

Didactic Dig : As new students come to the project, it can be overwhelming to be presented with an open trench and some already settled interpretations. It is valuable to have a resource explaining what has already been discussed, and how we came to our current understanding, for site newbies.

— Andy Dufton· Jun 11, 09:05