The Team Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
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So here we are, the core of the team, including the field archaeologists, conservators, artist, geophysicist and anthropologist. Missing are Patrick and Nicolas, as well as a number of other locals, and Gontrand who was sorting out his Para-Commando veterans following their parade at the Last Post Ceremony. Also present with the group are our two Australian guests, Matt McLachlan (author) and Michael Molkentin (historian) who joined us on site with a film crew from ABC. We wait to see whether their recording of our work will make it to a final cut documentary.
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We are standing in front of the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, where we were honoured to take part and lay a wreath on behalf of the group. Our wreath party included Tori, who has a great uncle on the memorial and Ralph who is our expert on German military history. The Australian Defence Force also laid a wreath and were represented by Lt Col Paul Smith.
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It is an odd thing to excavate a site and then to attend ceremonial at a monument to the Fallen, some of whom may lie in the fields where we had been working. This is one of the odd dynamics of working in contemporary archaeology, as is the possibility of identifying any skeletons. As it was, we didn’t find any bodies.
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Conservation Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
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So the next stage of the work is to ensure that the delicate finds that require conservation work are looked at. To this end, Rob Janaway of Bradford University was on site at the end of the dig. ob was able to advise on suitable methodologies (a new ‘First Aid for Finds’ needs to be written when it comes to the archaeology of the Great War). Objects such as leather, copper alloy, and the gasmasks found in trench 3 will be conserved prior to their being photographed and recorded. Ultimately they will be returned to Belgium to join the rest of the finds.
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Objects below for Conservation – German gasmask filter (held rather lovingly by Jo it must be said..) and the Lyons bottle from the sap leading to the Lewis position (otherwise known as Dan’s trench)
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en retour… Tuesday, August 7th, 2007
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Hello again
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We’re back from the Front, feeling tired but happy…
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Big thanks to all the team, to Patrick and his friends from the historical society, to the boys from the RLC who came for a site tour an ended up digging a big hole for us (with beautiful straight edges I might add), to Gontrand and to Tony the barman (who knows why). The lovely folk from Zonnebeke Museum also get thanked for their kind words and end of day gift.
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More pictures as we go!
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Martin
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Projekt Plugstreet: Abschlussbericht Monday, August 6th, 2007
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Der Donnerstag und Freitag wurde noch einmal ausgenutzt um einen weiteren ehemaligen Schützengraben auszuheben. Dieser wurde erneut mithilfe der Geophysik ausfindig gemacht und ließ vielversprechende Resultate erwarten. Es wurden hier neben jeder Menge Stacheldraht auch wieder einige andere Funde gemacht u.a. eine Mundharmonika, Glasflaschen, Ampullen und Hemdknöpfe. Gegen Nachmittag wurden dann die letzten Fotografien und Zeichnungen gemacht. Anschließend wurden die Schaufeln und Kellen niedergelegt und zum gemeinsamen Gruppenfoto aller Beteiligten aufgerufen. Am Abend ging es dann zu einem Kriegerdenkmal in Ploegsteert. Hier wurde unter der Begleitung von Dudelsackklängen ein Kranz niedergelegt und so den Soldaten gedacht.
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Im Auberge, ein gemütliches kleines Restaurant, wurde gemeinsam gespeist und die Gedanken über die vergangenen Tage ausgetauscht. Am Samstag blieb dann für einige noch ein bisschen Zeit Museen und Soldatenfriedhöfe in der Nähe zu besuchen. Anschließend hieß es dann Abschied nehmen. Emailadressen und Telefonnummern wurden eifrig ausgetauscht und man freut sich schon auf ein gemeinsames Wiedersehen im nächsten Jahr. Das Projekt war somit ein Erfolg und stimmte die Projektleiter sehr zufrieden, so dass bereits an eine Fortsetzung des Projektes gedacht wird.
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Projekt Plugstreet war eine sehr gute Erfahrung. Ich habe jede Menge gelernt, viele interessante Menschen kennen gelernt und viele neue kulturelle Eindrücke erlebt. Die Erinnerung an den Ersten Weltkrieg ist allgegenwärtig und bleibt besonders durch die vielen Museen und Denkmäler erhalten.
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Special thanks to Martin and Richard who gave me the opportunity to participate in Project Plugstreet. I am glad I met all these great people and it was a pleasure being a part of this team. It has been a great time and I look forward to seeing you next year. Thank you.
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Last images for the evening Monday, August 6th, 2007
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1) The delectable Carla holding a Pipe stem found in the sap of the Australian Lewis gun pit. Especially poignant given the diary accounts of the Australian 3rd Div of their troops advancing with rifles slung and smoking their pipes….
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2) Some Webbing buckles, again from Dan’s Lewis gun sap.
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Images 2 Monday, August 6th, 2007
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Some more images of the site
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1) German stick grenade – one of several examples found on site and dealt with by Gontrand, ex of DOVO
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2) British Mills bomb (again, Gontranded)
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3) German Bunker found in the German fire trench. If anyone questions the merits of archaeology and the great war, well this bunker was never mentioned in ANY diaries of the battle (Battalion or otherwise), is not visible in aerial photos or trench maps. Even the farmer did not know of its existence until Kirsty, Tori and the gang worked their concrete-maiden magic
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4) Dan excavating the sap dug by the Australians to provide a T-head for their Lewis gun as part of the refortifying of Ultimo Crater. This produced bottles, pipe stems, food tins and the contents of a brazier.
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5) Lovely result as this trench is finished – note wriggly tin sides and iron strap holding them in place
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Some images of the work Monday, August 6th, 2007
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At an early stage yet, but thought we should add some images of the site and of finds. Look out for images of the team in action soon.
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1) Remnants of Factory Farm in the Crater Upcast
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2) British High Explosive shell fuse (dated 1915 but adapted in17) found in German fire trench
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3) British (or Australian!) .303 clip
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4) Great War re-enactors that took part in the Passchendale 90th anniversary march visit the site
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5) Pocket knife from the German fire trench
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Jon’s Archaeographic Record Sunday, August 5th, 2007
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While NML were out in Belgium Michael Shanks was busy post processing the home territory of three of the team: the Hadrian’s Wall zone. So I have no problem in mis-appropriating his terminology by making this an ARCHAEOGRAPHY of Factory Farm 07 as seen from the T4,6,7 team. I have a bad memory for names, so not everyone is name-checked.
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T4 opening on day 1. Idyllic pool (moorhens, dragon flies, willows) masquerading as ecofact was actually artefact of major calorific and kinetic event in 1917. Diggers accompanied by in house film crew member._
Keith Maddison, third longest serving Trench Team member on site, demonstrates approved methodology by digging faster than can be captured digitally.
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But methodology follows intent and position. Metre grid excavation looking for fragmentary residue. Rare evidence of Conflict Arch/Anth theory-father Nick Saunders with trowel. Coops, Paula and Swantje adopt correct reverential stance.
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Belgian (Flemish) team member Berger talks to Flemish archaeology capo Mark De Wilde as they observe primitive Wallonian agricultural techniques at T7.
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Imperial archaeology in T7 as Keith (UK), Swantje (DR), Avril (UK), Coops (UK), and Paula (IT), impose their foreign technical interpretation on head of local history/archaeology org Gontrand (Wallon) who is forced into subordinate role of bucket carrier.
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The end….or is it…? Saturday, August 4th, 2007
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so its 2.20 am and we’re all doing our best to help the funds of the Peace Village by spending euros in the bar…again.
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What a day though. We got to the end, all finds off site, records written and drawn and one happy famer saying “anné prochaine”… which seems to mean we have to come back.
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Seriously, after work we attended the Last Post at the Ploegsteert memorial and Tori and Ralph laid a wreath for the team. Tori’s great uncle is on the memorial and Ralph, from the US is the historian of the German Army 1914 to 19. Very moving.
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Claude did us proud with dinner after and we presented him with a decorative shell case, trench art.
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Enough from me…
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Good night, we did it…we win…great team, great weather, great results.
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Break of Day in the Trenches… Friday, August 3rd, 2007
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Friday morning, 08:10 local time. I was disciplined enough to go to bed last night but then kept waking up worrying about the last day, particularly the thought that we might find a body without time in hand.
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Anyway. The last day for the digging season 2007. We are very pleased: not only have we uncovered a previously unknown concrete bunker and explored both German and Allied trenches we can also see Belgian life before the war and its utter dislocation; this from the remains of Factory Farm. Then we have the period of reconstruction seen in the demolition of the bunker. Finally we can contextualise everything through the geophysics and the map, air photo and phenomenological work that Peter, Peter and Birger are doing.
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Visitors yesterday included Captain Owen (not the poet) and 3 colleagues from the Royal Logisitics Corps who had a site tour and then pitched in to help for the afternoon: Rod you have a good captain coming, look after him!
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So, to work…
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