Today is the last day available for excavation and planning continues all over the site. My drawing is of a young archaeologist doing a carefully measured drawing and balancing on a single stone to avoid damaging the delicate floor surface.
It’s been a day of trying to catch archaeologists to get last minute information at a time when they are also endeavouring to finish up their own loose ends. I find it difficult to interrupt them and hope that I exercise sufficient tact. But their generosity is amazing and they find the time to answer my questions and keep me up to date on the season’s progress. All these recordings are required to complete the final film for next year – so it is vital to have information that can round off the narrative.
I was also delighted to catch a few serendipitous snippets when recording background sound. While drawing Trench J this afternoon I was seated near the site shop and the place where visitors are greeted and offered basic information. In amongst the general hubbub was the odd sentence that will be perfect for my sound track.
I need to make a correction to yesterday’s blog. Brian who brings food for the diggers explained that he and his partner are no longer part of Orkney Zero Waste. They are now working independently as a not for profit organisation called Food Fairy Mary – a perfect name for the service they provide.
Tomorrow they will begin to cover the trenches – a time when I need to collect more drawings but at the same time have conversations with people not involved in the heavy lifting of sandbags and tyres. It could be a busy day…
