Strange’s Laws of Archaeological Excavation

Laws In Tell Archaeology

1. No matter where you sink the first square,^a you will find a Turkish toilet.

2. If three Ph.D.s with 39 years of field experience among them lay out the grid, it will later turn out to be irretrievably in error.

Corollary: The error will not be found until the final report is being written.

3. If a professional surveyor with 39 years of experience surveying in the field is hired next time, then the grid will again be irretrievably in error.

First Corollary: If a second professional surveyor is hired (at great expense) to check the first surveyor’s work, THEN the grid will be found accurate within 0.005%.

Second Corollary: When you write the final report, the grid will be irretrievably in error anyway.

4. No structure excavated in a grid can be interpreted if the balks are left standing, as all important walls are hidden within the balks.

Corollary: When the balks are removed, the structure still won’t make any sense.

5. The least experienced Area Supervisor with the greenest crew will make the most spectacular discovery.

First Corollary: He or she will not know what it is and will not have recorded it.