The tools used by archaeologists differ at every excavation, depending on the type of ground, and the preference of the excavation director. At the Agora, we use hand picks. One side of the pick has a flat face and the other a point. When we are making a pass, we use the flat blade, and use

the point to scrape around rocks. We also use a hand broom to sweep, a pan to collect the swept up dirt, a trowel, and for finer work, things like chopsticks, paintbrushes, sponges and toothbrushes.

We find lots of pottery, mostly broken unfortunately, pieces of marble, some figurines, lots of tiles and brick, walls and other remnants of buildings. We find glass, slag, bone, metal, charcoal, shells. Some of this material is useful in helping us determine the context we are digging (the period). For instance, if we find a piece of pot base with a certain type of glaze on it that was only produced in a certain place and time, we can identify the period of the soil.

A couple of weeks ago I uncovered part of a vase base. It had a nice black glaze and was about 15 cm long, not intact unfortunately. Other than that, I helped unearth a wall! Does that count? I think so! I was excited.

People sure do watch us work! Many tourists come and ask lots of questions about what we are doing. “Are you looking for treasure?” “What are you digging?” are the most common questions. Sometimes they also ask for directions. They also take lots of photos, which is why we always put the good looking archaeologists at the front.

It starts very early and can get quite hot in the day, especially when the sun hits. You need to drink heaps of water to keep hydrated. We are given our assignments at the start of the day when the supervisors have decided what they want to do. When the bell rings, we sweep the area and then start making passes in the soil, sweep the soil, sift and then separate the useful material from the soil. The soil is discarded into a zambili (rubber bucket). This continues until 2pm when the day ends. We have an early lunch for 30 minutes at 11am.

Great question! This is often quite difficult, as objects or sherds can be very small. Careful sifting with concentration and gentle fingers help to tell the difference. When in doubt, ask a more experienced digger. If you still can’t tell, the rock is included with the basket and assessed again after washing. (As a last resort, you can tell by tasting it! Your tongue will stick to a piece of ceramic, as it is porous - not so with a rock.)

Dating objects is an important part of any excavation. Some objects can be dated because they have a date or inscription. Archaeologists study huge numbers of pots or sherds to group them into periods.

The Agora is one of the most important archaeological sites for the study of Greek history. It tells us about how people lived, their laws and practises. It also tells us about the types of buildings and objects that people used in Athens over a huge period of time. In 2008, we were working to find a building, the Stoa Poikile. Very useful!

We get really dirty! Also you get lots of dust and dirt in your nose and on your clothes. We have to wear cool comfortable clothes that protect us from the sun, and wash them everyday. At the end of the day, the only thing you want is a shower and a cool drink!

Sadly, after years of pressure under the soil, most objects are either damaged or fragmentary. On occasion, a beautifully preserved piece or large fragment is found, which is very exciting. Lots of coins and intact when they come out of the soil.

Picks are used to break up the soil, and straw brooms to sweep the soil into a pan. For more delicate work, archaeologists will use paintbrushes, toothbrushes, even chopsticks to carefully remove soil without damaging the object.