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Just realized my site grid system was wrecking context for a Roman villa dig
A grad student at a conference in Boston told me my 5x5 meter squares were cutting right through a key wall foundation. She said, 'You're treating every unit like a separate puzzle piece.' I switched to open area excavation for that sector, exposing the full floor plan in two weeks. Anyone else had to ditch a rigid method after it messed with the big picture?
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jessej2315d agoMost Upvoted
Ever think our grids say more about modern efficiency than ancient reality? That student was right, you were digging a filing system, not a home. Sometimes you gotta let the site tell you how it wants to be dug.
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felix41415d agoMost Upvoted
Can't we just do both, like Eva said?
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evahenderson15d ago
Look, grids give you control and clear data. That open area stuff can turn into a huge mess real fast, and then how do you even record where things came from? You need that structure to keep everything straight, or you're just making a bigger puzzle with no edge pieces. Honestly, that student got lucky with one wall, but a solid grid system saves you from way bigger problems later on.
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