TO DIG OR NOT TO DIG?: TECHNOLOGIES AND TEMPERMENTS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS

Technology Tuesday | Jaime Meier

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I was thrilled to get the chance to visit the ancient city of Troy while I was on a tour through Turkey in 2019. The city was made infamous through the stories of Homer – detailing the decade of battle and the adventure home to Greece. The city re-appeared in my undergrad as an example of horrific archaeology practices that have likely destroyed the possibility of finding objects of significant historical value. Through lessons from the past and new technology, these issues have largely been avoided, as reflected in the case of the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, China.  

The City of Troy | Photo courtesy of Jaime Meier

In 1873, Heinrich Schliemann, an amateur archaeologist from Germany, dedicated his post-retirement life to finding the city of Troy due to the impact of the Iliad on his childhood. Without a permit from Turkish authorities and against the advice of other archaeologists, Schliemann began his assult on the site. One of his major projects was digging a giant trench that went down through nine different layers of the city of Troy – uncovering evidence of cities being built on top of each other and also causing untold damage to original buildings. It is incredible that Schliemann was able to find the site and due to his haste and desire for infamy, our understandings of the ancient city may be permanently affected. 

The different layers, indicating a new city, is marked by numbered plaques | Photo courtesy of Jaime Meier

The terracotta army was discovered in 1974 by farmers and the excavation, led by Zhao Kangmin began shortly after. The initial excavation in Pit 1 lasted 10 years, resulting in the discovery of over 1000 terracotta figures. The project was paused in 1986 and would remain untouched until 2009, as the archaeology teams recognized the need for more advanced technology to uncover the remaining objects and patiently waited for the equipment to become available. The excavation of pit 2 went similarly, with efforts being paused in the late-1990s due to concerns around object damage, with projects restarting in 2015 with new technology and strategies. While the discovery of new objects is always exciting, it is imperative to prioritize preservation of the objects and community needs over the personal gains achieved through quickly gathering objects for sale.

The terracotta army | Source

While the ideas and technology surrounding archaeology had changed considerably during the excavations of Troy and the Terracotta Army, an interesting difference is also the locality of the people making decisions regarding the sites. In the case of Troy, Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeology. While the Terracotta Army had the great fortunate of being initially discovered by farmers, who alerted local archaeologists, including Zhao, who went to the site. The difference between these men is not inherently their experience, but rather the respect shown to the sites. As someone not from the area and a budding interest, Schliemann had no issue in exploiting the site based on personal interest and gain, whereas Zhao was able to recognize the importance of the site to not only his history, but the history of others. Unearthing new discoveries is exciting and it is also crucial for all archaeologists to follow the example of Zhao in centering community needs and long-term preservation.