Just realized my trowel angle was all wrong on a Roman dig near Bath

I was at a site assistant last year in Bath (you know, the Roman baths area) and a lead archaeologist told me I was scraping too steep. He said I was basically shaving off layers instead of following the natural soil changes. I switched to a shallower 15 degree angle and suddenly started spotting post holes and stain lines I'd been missing for weeks. Has anyone else had their technique totally corrected by a more experienced digger?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_singh24d ago

Depends on the soil type though, doesn't it?

nora_dixon5d ago

Keep that trowel low and slow. Way easier to read the soil when you're not gouging it like you're buttering toast. Small changes like that really do make a huge difference in what you can spot.