In Trench T they are uncovering an Iron Age wall around a structure, which is built over, and through, the Neolithic. There must be many reasons why they chose to reuse the site, but perhaps one was that it commands a magnificent view all round. The panorama includes the Stenness Stones, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar and several Iron Age broths.
It is the last week of the dig. There is a sense of quiet urgency to complete tasks, removing finds and ensuring records are up to date. I feel this too. Alongside my list of stuff to do, is an awareness of how much still remains to be done – and a wish to simply carry on painting, regardless of any sense of purpose. Maybe tomorrow…
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Is the desire to connect to the past an old age thing? What exactly is the ‘Rapture of the Archive’? If I analyse my personal buzz (the hand that held/holds the crayon) will I understand others – why archaeologists dig, and essentially destroy, what they find in order to literally and metaphorically uncover the past? I’m sure many books have been written on this but it is my direct phenomenological experience, which leads me on in this project.
