Day Eleven

The unit excavated outside Fort Speelwijk

We finished up Spit 8 (105 cmbd – 120 cmbd) today, and started on Spit 9 (120 cmbd – 135 cmbd). As with previous spits, we encountered a lot of rubble. We have already stopped excavating at the north area before the wall where we hit flooring and only continued at the southside of our unit.

Spit 9 was strange because we actually encountered lesser artefacts than the previous Spits, which we thought might be otherwise. Halfway through Spit 9, we hit damp, sticky, grey clay. Chen explained that this is usually the type of clay found near rivers and it would be pointless digging further because it might be sterile.

At Spit 9 we found a blue and white sherd, lesser organic materials, some earthenware and one clay pipe stem. The lack of clay pipes have been puzzling us as we had anticipated much more clay pipes, since Fort Speelwijk housed Dutch soldiers. Clay pipes also provides us with excellent clues to date other artefacts found together with them because they have the maker’s imprint on them, giving us a very accurate time period.

The unit being excavated outside Fort Speelwijk however found a huge bagful of clay pipes. I suppose the soldiers used to conveniently toss their trash right outside their Fort back then, as we do with our cigarette buds now.

Love,

Christabel