Back in Spain, having rejoined the team, we continued moving rocks and clearing the site. On Tuesday, dive group 1 finally moved the last huge boulder from the crevasse, while Susannah and I captured the action with photographs and video, respectively. After three years of work, the crevasse is now finally emptied of all surface boulders and can be fully excavated. There is already an impressive amount of material visible. In the barrier wall formed where the boulder once sat, this includes well-stratified pottery from all three ancient shipwrecks—Roman, on top; Punic, beneath; and Phoenician at the bottom. The latter material includes the mouth of a western Phoenician amphora, a small tripod bowl, and the tip end of an elephant tusk.
VIDEO: La Madre de todas las Piedras (Bajo de la Campana 2011) – The team removes a massive boulder from the crevasse to allow for excavation in this important area.
Members of dive groups 2 and 3 put down airlift pipes and continued installing the site grid, while Neil and Laura recorded the crevasse pottery with sketches and photographs.
We were also happy to finally and officially welcome Ernesto (‘Tiko’) to the excavation. Ernesto was contracted by Arqua to help fill tanks in the morning, which he then brings to the marina during our surface interval, and to help Emilio pilot our dive boat in the afternoon.
Josue Mata Mora loads airlift pipes onto the top of the van for transport to the marina and then to the site (photo by M. Polzer).
(L) Neil Puckett carries a large rock off site with his hands; (R) Kiko Bañuelos and Juan Pinedo employ one of our Subsalve lift bags to move a large crate of rocks (photos by M. Polzer).
Ceramic material in the crevasse (photo by M. Polzer).