Archaeologists use stakes and string to create a grid before excavating a site. They use picks, shovels, and brushes to remove soil and debris, and store artifacts in containers after filtering dirt through shakers.
Before excavating an archaeological site, an archaeologist usually creates a grid of the area using stakes and string. He will then use archaeological materials such as picks and shovels to remove the top layers of soil. Dirt will often have to be removed from the more fragile artefacts with soft brushes. Once the dirt has been removed, it is usually placed in buckets before being filtered through shakers. Any artifacts discovered are then usually stored in sacks or other containers.
When a possible archaeological site has been found, the area needs to be organized into a manageable work area. This area is often referred to as a grid and is usually marked with archaeological materials such as stakes and string. The posts are first driven into the ground at regular intervals. The rope is then tied to each stake, creating several small squares on the ground. Many times, archaeologists will also mark the squares of this grid on graph paper.
Excavating tools are some of the most important materials for archaeology. Picks and hoes are often used to loosen the top layers of earth and rock, and large shovels are then used to remove the dirt and rocks. When archaeologists believe they have gotten close to the artifacts, the large shovels are usually mistaken for smaller shovels, known as trowels. These smaller pushes are used to remove small amounts of dirt around artifacts, as they are less likely to damage them.
The metal blades of the blades, however, often damage most artifacts. Removing dirt and debris from fragile artifacts, such as pottery and bone, usually requires the use of other major archaeological supplies. Soft brushes are usually used for this task. Archaeologists typically carry several brushes of different sizes with them when they excavate.
Buckets and sieve shakers are other common archaeological supplies. Once the dirt has been removed from a hole, it is usually placed in a bucket. When this bucket is nearly full, the dirt is dumped onto a shaker, which is a piece of mesh surrounded by a wooden frame. Shaking these screens allows dirt to fall through the holes, but small artifacts get caught on top of the screen.
Found artifacts will be placed in storage containers. Most of these containers are usually nothing more than plastic or paper bags, but plastic bins can also be used. Archaeologists then carefully record what the artifacts are and where they were found.
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