So, as much work as the first day was, it doesn't get a whole lot easier the second day. Starting a little tired and sore, we got to work. Today was just a lot more digging, mainly. However, today's digging was interspersed with several pauses to pick up pottery sherds (Yes, sherds, not shards. I don't know what the difference is, though.) Our square found the most pottery sherds with one full bucket and another one that had a few centimeters full of it. Most of the other teams just had a few centimeters of their own. We also picked up a lot of glass and a bit of bone as well as the tessera, which are pieces of mosaic flooring. We're in the middle of trying to level off our square. It's rough, though, because we're literally fighting an uphill battle. But we're making definite progress.
Today was another bit of an eye-opener for me. Although the pottery and glass and tessrea we've found is broken and smashed, it is a little strange to think that people living at Hippos, at one point in time, were there making, selling, decorating, and generally using this pottery. To hold in my hand the workmanship that has survived (more or less) though the centuries that have passed is a unique experience. I think that is partially compels people to do this sort of thing. It is truly amazing to think about it.
Today was another day filled with hard work. But being able to find these things is such a tremendous experience. I really look forward to the rest of my time here. With what I've been able to do these two days of the dig, I know there are good things in store for the next few weeks.
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