August 12, 2009

Wednesday

Aug. 12, 2009

I’m starting today’s entry early because we couldn’t dig this morning. Last night, “tomb robbers” came to the dig site with metal detectors and dug several holes looking for coins and statues. We didn’t find out until we went to the site after breakfast. I was one of the last students to arrive, since I walked this morning instead of taking the van down the hill. When I arrived, I saw the trench leaders walking around the site observing the damage. Like a play, or a choreographed dance, they grouped, ungrouped, and regrouped, discussing whatever it was they felt needed discussion. The students, in the meantime, stood in an anxious clump at the ridge above the trenches, chattering in at least three languages (Italian, English, and Dutch) and shuffling for a better view. Eventually the news filtered through that we were to wait either at the bar or at the dig house. (It should be explained that a “bar” here is an all day thing, not like American bars. They serve coffee, pastries, and alcoholic drinks all day along with gum and candies like one would find at a gas station mart, and are usually open from about 8 or 9am until 2am.) In the meantime, we were told that the dig leader, Stuponi, would be called along with police and detectives. We got word not long ago that they arrived, and that the site had never been robbed before, despite being active for a decade. One question among many is “why now?”. Perhaps it’s because we are closer to more valuable finds. The early guesses are that this is a professional job.

There’s been nothing new for some time, now, and I think it’s about 9:30am. We usually begin at 7:30. People around here – students – are amusing themselves as best they can. Some people are outside talking, sitting, and smoking. There’s at least one person sleeping. A group of girls is looking at a map of Umbria, probably making weekend plans. A couple of people are playing a card game that I don’t quite understand. Sarah and Paolo (one of the Italians) are transcribing the dig log into her computer, which she brought from the convent along with my journal. Something tells me we’ll be here all morning. There’s nothing more to tell for now, though, so I’ll take a break and update later.

We never got any more information about the robbery. We were able to go back to the dig site at 10:30, at which point we worked on cleaning up the mess and continuing our work. We placed the unearthed artifacts in plastic, numbered bags and reburied them where they were found so as to keep the integrity of the site intact as much as possible. At dinner tonight we were told only that if anyone asks, 3-4 holes were found and nothing was taken. Though obviously a lie, a lot of factors rely on keeping the situation quiet. Funding, public opinion, future “copycat” incidents, and the integrity of the project would all be in jeopardy if it was sensationalized. We’ll see how things go tomorrow.