Pressure on 'geofizz'

It can be difficult enough to excavate within the restraints of a scheduled ancient monument or built-up area, but the 'geofizz' (geophysics) team was pushed still further on this dig as demands for their services were high. Working on several large areas in different locations didn't help, and the fact that large fields needed to be surveyed quickly, and the team couldn't be in two places at once, added to the tension.

There was even some debate as to whether trenches could be dug without geophysics being done first. 'We have to have geophysics done,' insisted geophysics team boss John Gater. 'It's a matter of prioritising the workload. They have to make their minds up about which are the most important areas.'

Though it can be frustrating for the archaeologists to wait for results, geophysics can save a lot of time wasted digging sterile ground. They may not be right all the time, but they do help enormously when it comes to prioritising the trenches in the limited time available on a three-day dig.