We learned on our city tour last night that the walls surrounding the town are constantly being repaired and renovated, and some part is always being worked on. As this maintenance progresses, people from the YAT photograph every single stone in the wall, and record it in a CAD program for a permanent record.

Coming in to work this morning, I found two stones fallen from the wall end next to our building. Amongst the debris was a large piece of cooked fish! Since there are hoards of rats only yards away, plus lots of little birds here and there, I take that to mean the fish hadn't been there long. It seems most likely to me that either some fish-eating vandal knocked out the stones deliberately, or someone with a package of fish and chips was climbing around on the walls and accidentally dislodged the stones. In either case, someone lost his fish and damaged the city's pride.


I don't think I've mentioned the other people on the project:

• Carol and Elizabeth, trainees for two weeks: mother and daughter, both Americans, living in England about an hour's drive north
  
• Evaline, trainee for one week: local Polish au pair on a week's holiday
  
• Ben, trainee for two weeks: first-year archaeology student who lives nearby
  
• Rick, excavation placement: local archaeology student
  
• Pam, excavation placement: local experienced archaeology enthusiast
  
• John, trainee for one week: retired American from Oregon, celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary while his wife is back in the States
  
• Xavier, [not sure of role]: graduate of York U. archaeology program
  
• Diane, finds placement: current MA student at York U., has been around only three days so far
  
• Katherine, finds assistant: my boss (although she's not been in for the past three days for some reason)
  
• Kurt, project director: professional field archaeologist
  
• Mark, fills in for Kurt: professional field archaeologist
  

Got a bit of good fortune this week: Carol heard me mention the lack of a convenient laundromat, so she offered to take mine home and do it and bring it back! Yay! Fresh clothes tomorrow!



Where the rock fell from.



A big hunk of fish amongst the scattered shattered stone.