What are you actually researching?
‘Last year we surveyed the first layer of soil, and now we are going deeper into the same trench. This year we are focusing on investigating further the wall foundations we found last time, to determine when they are from and what kind of buildings they were. For example, we found a lot of pottery, which helps determine whether something was inside or outside a house. Now that we have gone deeper, we have also discovered new foundations and hope to find traces of an even older settlement.’
What are your most interesting finds so far?
‘We just found a big piece of an amphora, a pouring jug, with the ears and pouring spout attached. It's cool to find something like that, because then we can identify the pottery and say more about where it comes from and how old it is. We have also found three coins already, which is more than last year! We also found a lot of waste from the Romans' food, mainly lots of bones. These are bones of animals, not human bones, mind you - Romans buried their deceased outside the city.’
How does it feel to hold such ancient objects?
‘That's actually quite special! Sometimes you forget how old these objects are because you are working with them every day. But every now and then I think: surely it is bizarre that the brick or bone I hold in my hand is almost two thousand years old.’
What do you still hope to find?
‘A friend of mine very much hopes to find Terra Sigillata, which is beautiful pottery with images, with gladiatorial fights on it. Apparently that is regularly excavated around here. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but it would be really cool!’
What does this project add to your studies?
‘I like it because a lot of our programme is very theoretical. Archeology, on the other hand, is very practical, and you actually get to see the objects it's all about: walls and pottery from the Romans. Last year, I wasn't as far along in my bachelor's and knew less about pottery. It was still a lot of fun, but I thought: if I can go again next year, I'll go again! Besides, it's really fun, because you hang out with the same people for a month and get really close friendships from that.’
Will you be here again next year?
'Yes, if possible I will! Next year is the last year of the project, and if I can join again then, I will have experienced the whole project from start to finish. That would be amazing.'
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