Digging Hill 80 - A few leftover Concerning Photos.....

This is the "Gas Flag" atop the dig HQ building.  The wind is blowing from right to left in this picture.  We actually had to take a safety quiz that asked us which way we would run in the event of a toxic gas release.  (The correct answer should this be at all useful to you, is Right).  So far only one gas shell has turned up but you never know.

One day a rather sulfurous odor was detected by several of us.  As concerned and well trained diggers we commented on it.  One of the chief archaeologists apologized......

This one looks innocuous.  Just a big flat board in the lunch area.  But of course I know better from my previous career.  This is a signal board to help medivac helicopters find a landing spot.  The handle is for ease of carrying.  It is sturdy plywood most likely so it can do double duty as a flat surface to put under somebody while doing CPR.  I asked and somebody thought it was also intended to be a landing pad for the photo drone that cruised the site on days where the wind was not a problem.  I never saw it used for that purpose.

Quite a bit less concerning but here is a little example of clothes packing strategy.  I did see quite a few excavators on site wearing shorts.  After anything more than two drops of rain the site became muddy.  I always wear long pants, and if the temperature is not oppressively hot also my rainsuit pants.  You get a choice either to have "Perma Dirt" ground into your skin or into your garments.  At the end of the stay on Hill 80 I threw some clothes away.  Others that were not as distressed went into a bin down the street that collected old clothes for charities.