A handbook for new diggers?

[Dinosaur]

Cant for the life of me remember where the reference is, but someone many moons ago did some practical experiments and discovered that charring actually speeds up how fast the post rots - you've burnt off all the tree's natural anti-rot defences and replaced them with something highly porous that actually sucks in the water and provides an ideal environtment for all the fungi etc

[kevin wooldridge]

I guess it depends to what degree the timber is heated (charred). Heating timber from various species of pine trees native to Scandinavia will result in pitch and resin rising to the surface of the timber and then acting as an effective waterproofing preservative agent. Heat it too much and effectively the timber is reduced to charcoal and loses its inherent strength and structural usefulness....

[Dinosaur]

But damn handy for getting good C14 samples if you get the charcoal ring in the bottom of your post-pit - makes my blood boil the number of times I've dicovered a digger has just shovelled the whole lot into a sample tub without asking or taking some targeted outer-ring samples, don't they teach them anything useful in Uni these days? [Seedy Girl excluded from above rant!]

[troll]

Really? When was the last time you received anything other than laughter when you asked if there was room in the "budget" for C14?

[Dinosaur]

have SUERC been doing all those dates for us for nothing then? Good on them :face-approve:

have just been looking at someone's PhD thesis where he managed to get 160 dates (that's getting on for 50-grands worth, to save you reaching for a calculator) paid for by various bodies (mainly EH) - *******! :face-crying:

[Jack]

We are going for 100 on our latest project. It was big though.

[Jack]

and you would have top spend a year in it with all your family, slaves, animals etc for you to have even a remotely valid point- or you could look at recent comparative anthropological examples and save yourself the bother as they are at least if not more use than your weekend camping

No argument about the need to collect data carefully for best results......and to reconstruct as best can.

To be honest the major eye-opener over the weekend was the smoke thing, had always thought that a roundhouse of that design would be very smoky inside. The doorway/light was a functional afterthought.

BAJR..........hadn't realised our discussion had polar extremes..........the available data has a multitude of valid interpretations (and we seem to be wandering all over the shot.)

I like the Scottish Broch thing, cheers...........not read it (will have to give it careful attention later) but regional variations seems to be the way forward (as long as the 'region' chosen is valid)

But to cut to the chase, referring to the interpretation of the patterns in roundhouse doorway facing.......

The data as yet presented is inconclusive over a single causal reason.
I suspect that a number of factors are at work in different regions and at different times.

My main argument (as always) is over how the data is collected, presented and the interpreted.

Think we started by arguing over science vs non-science

My point was that a database of the details of over 600 odd circular structures is a much better place to start your analysis than say four sites that fit your already decided model.

My vote (over the voice parody of light vs religion) over the reason behind the pattern of doorway facing would be for all three.

1) Practical concerns
2) Traditional concerns
3) Choice

After all humans are both obstinate and stuck in their ways, and innovative contrary and curious............its a matter of adaption and evolution to their particularly weird past environmental pressures :face-stir:

[BAJR]

BAJR..........hadn't realised our discussion had polar extremes..........the available data has a multitude of valid interpretations (and we seem to be wandering all over the shot.)

The best... I enjoy it as it is proper discussion and debate. I should not say extreme.. but it sounds better.

Reminds me of old days in the site hut... we would discuss and pass around articles and papers .. and so although it is perhaps a bit wandering. again it has relevance to diggers handbook. the need to discuss. and disseminate ... the digger is no longer "just" a earth mover - but a fully aware trained professional :face-approve:

ps... I like the choices!

[BAJR]

Work at Cranbourne as they rebuild their 26 year old Roundhouse.
interesting in regards to the time the structure was up before even needing repair. and also that the building has not moved. - what would we find to show this rebuild?

http://www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk...ction.html
[B]
( This was a question I am asking the Rampart Scotland students) though the images I thought would be useful in terms of understanding a structural makeup of a roundhouse. I like the image of the central 'tube' with the roof off. Which - as has been pointed out before, is all we have evidence for. I picture the Iron age family huddled in this tube, waiting for someone to invent roofs
[/B]

[beamo]

Troll asked 'When was the last time you received anything other than laughter when you asked if there was room in the "budget" for C14?'

In Somerset all archaeolgical projects, including evaluations, require a compulsory 'Archaeological Science Contingency' (ASC) equating to 15% of the total tender cost for the earchaeolgical work with a minimum level equivalent to the cost of obtaining one C14 date. This ASC has to be clearly identified as a seaprate cost and can only be used for full analysis of environmental material, not for assessment.

Beamo