But First Sandbags

8 July, 2017

Knysna, SA

The first week of the season is usually a bit hectic.

Before archaeologists can sit down and dig, before we can wash and analyze artifacts, we must open the site. As KEH-1 is on perched on a cliff, this includes installing general safety features (ropes), and a staircase to enable daily entering and exiting of the cave.

Now, Indiana Jones would be much more bad ass and realistic if he carried sandbags. Leaving the site open to the elements and curious visitors will probably result in its accelerated destruction, so every year we cover newly excavated sediments with sandbags. This naturally implies that we spend time hauling sandbags to site.

On Monday, day one, our agenda was simple: carry new sandbags to site, haul sandbags up the cliff, set safety ropes to prevent horrific falls, and bring in critical equipment. To achieve these objectives, we split the crew: four people headed to site, while the rest went for sand.

The sand is purchased from a small store in the Knysna industrial section. A strip of grass, our best parking option, separated the busy lanes from a brick fence. Between the leaning brick fence, a dusty road leads down to a courtyard. Piles of sand spill from cement stalls, crudely painted signs hovering over the grains. At the far end, a cluster of buildings are surrounded by cement birdbaths. We ordered two cubic meters of sand, measured out with a square wooden frame.

 This amount of sand is enough to fill about 60 bags (preferably more). Less sand in the sack is better, because over full bags are 1) obscenely heavy, which 2) makes them difficult to carry, and 3) more likely to break open. We (by which I mean, our current funding sources) pay for the sand, and we’d like to use it as long as possible.

Every year, our project hires several members of the local workforce to help carry the sand from the parking lot to site. I’ve been part of the sandbag crew several times, and it reminds me why daily yoga is necessary.

Our task, moving the bags from the truck to the cobble beach, was complicated by the current lack of stairs. We are able to take an “alternate route”, consisting of a circuitous path through the undergrowth. Clutching sandbags, slipping on the inch of leaves covering our detour, and stumbling over cobbles, we deposited our burden on the beach. Foamy waves hissed against the rocks, the sound covering the heavy thud of released sandbags. Once they were all moved from the overloaded vehicle, we headed to site, leaving the local crew to continue transporting the heavy material.

The slope up to KEH-1 is slicker and steeper by the year, likely because of our daily trek. The sandbags prevent further erosion (in theory, anyway), and provide a desperately needed staircase. Below the staircase is a steep cliff, and below that are jagged rocks and pounding surf.

Once the ropes were set, we were ready to haul in other equipment. A few things needed on site include buckets (for excavation), a table (all purpose), bags (all purpose), helmets (safety, in theory. In reality, we tend not to wear them), power cords (for lights). Most of these items, once on site, are left there for the season. Any expensive equipment (including anything which can’t be purchased in country) is carried in and out every day.

Once we were back onsite it was time to tear the sandbags off the excavated units.  Any still useable would be reused for gunning platforms and the staircase.

To accomplish this, we started grabbing bags and passing them up the slope. Unfortunately, due to exposure, many bags were holey and the sand was often concreted. After multiple close calls and sand being dumped on everything (including my head), we started letting the next person know about the tears and holes as we passed them. By 4:30, most of the slope was exposed and sand was everywhere.

The following day (Tuesday), we made another sandbag run. Several of us then headed back to the flats, to begin setting up our lab. Operating a lab during the season is critical. Our goals are to manage everything coming offsite, sieve and float all the bags of sediment, clean and identify the Finds, prep Finds for further analysis, and provide a space for our specialists.

We are fortunate enough to have four large flats at our disposal, one of which planned to convert to a lab. We began by removing a blue cushioned couch to the porch. We pushed the heavy piece against the outside door of another bedroom, effectively locking the doors, and replaced it with two plastic, wobbly tables. The myriad of boxes we shoved underneath the tables, while sheets of paper and other boxes took their place on top.

As the week progressed, the lab became more and more busy. We still had 10mm sieve material to sort, and then artifacts began to arrive. Specialists from all around arrived to get a sense for the site and the potential studies.

On Friday, we lit a fire in one of the outdoor braai pits. One of the great things about the flats is the braai area.  An array of vegetables, meats, and dessert soon appeared. The air was chilly but not prohibitively cold. Soon we began swapping stories, which grew more and more outrageous as the night went on (suffice to say, there is a reason that fireworks are banned on all our projects).