Chapter 1 // Excavating the Excavated Soil
On the first week of the excavation the excavator entered the site and started removing the superficial layers. That is the soil removed until an archaeological layer is found. After its removal from the ground this soil was piling up next to the excavation site.
The project started by excavating the excavated soil. Following the archaeological process I started a new excavation on this soil that contained fragments of a recent past. Objects which were collected, cleaned, documented and cataloged.
Next step was to create a display table choosing items of certain interest to me, although the archaeologists - of our time at least – often do not have a specific research focus in them. As I saw them, they formed a parallel narrative to that of the actual excavation, a narration and classification of a recent past as it will be told by the archaeologists of the future.
During the public visits the display table opened a dialogue on the archaeological process, material culture, and the importance of the stories the objects share. Τhe fact that the public was coming in contact with familiar objects in contrast with ancient findings -but treated as such- made the archaeological process understandable. The visitors changed their point of view on fragments which they would otherwise consider as trash and acknowledged their potential as future findings. As they were familiar with the objects displayed it was possible for them to connect these information with their personal experiences, share their own stories and memories and finally create their own interpretation - not solely based on their physical properties.