The Diaries
 
November 4th 2008
:: 2008 :: 10/27 - 10/28 - 10/29 - 10/30 - 10/31
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11/29 - 11/30
12/01 - 12/02
- From hypothesis to surprises -  

Max drawn by Sylvain
Photo : Max GUEROUT

It is with full enthusiasm that the whole team puts itself to work. Thomas releases with precaution the bones discovered yesterday, at the same moment two ulnas, the left and the right, are found one beside the other close to the place where we had released a tibia yesterday, about 2, 5 m of the place where laid the skull.

Here thus a skeleton particularly burst. Its presence in the layer of cuts appears to imply that it comes from a burial dispersed by close excavation work, assumption reinforced by the presence of copper fragments beside the bones, but three vertebras are still in connection, which could indicate a decomposition of the body in the same place we found them, and would thus relate to a death which has occurred after the departure of our shipwrecked men. This last assumption is however not the one we will retain for the moment, because a shovelful of sand can undoubtedly contain three vertebras without disuniting them.

The morning occurs to release, position and photograph the dispersed elements of the skeleton.

In the beginning of the afternoon, the work of scouring can begin again, the low wall that we are working on takes his base in the archaeological layer and has more and more the pace the home wall of the slaves.

Batch of a dozen copper spoons
Photo : Jean-François REBEYROTTE

At the moment when we exceed the white sand which seals the archaeological site, new and happy surprise: at the foot of the wall appears one, then two, then a whole batch of a dozen copper spoons, carefully arranged one on the top of the others with copper needles also. The hollow part is circular and the handle is astutely made by folding up the two sides to form a tube. This discovery is important, because it underlines again the structure of the small community: carefully manufactured and arranged these spoons attest a well organized daily life.
From the place where we work, and in spite of our concentration, we cannot prevent ourselves from throwing time to time a glance over the velvet makers, towards the northern point of the island. The violent wind dug the sea and the trains of swell which pass on each side of the island there join in sumptuous explosions of foam