The building site is being excavated for traces of the past. Several archaeologists from the company ReVe from Bamberg surveyed the foundation pit, quickly uncovering tell-tale archaeological features. The areas in question will be measured and documented using photographs and hand-drawn illustrations. Afterward, the resulting finds will be recovered, cleaned and dated as accurately as possible. In addition to animal bones and glass bottles, shards of early pottery were also unearthed.
Figure 1 shows a photographic view of profile 57 of the excavation area. Profiles (vertical layers) as well as plans (horizontal layers) are numbered sequentially to record the different exposed sections on an area of archaeological excavation. Marked in orange is a foundation wall. Along with the cellar, it also dates from the Middle Ages and thus can also be grouped among the older structures on the Marktplatz 2 site. In addition to photographic documentation, hand-drawn graphic representations of this kind are an essential aspect of archaeological work.
Figure 2 shows the drawing of profile 57. The so-called stratigraphy, or sequence of layers, of the differnt archaeological strata can be seen. It ranges from the cultural stratum, from which the early Medieval shards originate, to High Medieval trenches, to the wall already mentioned, upon which stood a second wall belonging to the 18th century building that was demolished to make room for the construction of the Archive of the Future Lichtenfels.
Figures and illustrations: ReVe - Office for Archaeology Bamberg
Text: Michael Jandejsek M.A., ReVe - Office for Archaeology Bamberg