When Excavating Contractors Become Accidental Archaeologists
They arrive with rumbling engines and a purpose: to dig. But sometimes, excavating contractors unearth more than just dirt and rock. They become accidental archaeologists, stumbling upon buried secrets that rewrite history. Imagine the scene: a crew working on a new foundation, the mechanical ballet of excavators and dump trucks a familiar rhythm. Then, a glint of metal catches the eye of a worker. A shovel, a careful brushstroke of dirt, and a revelation – a long-forgotten sword, a fragment of pottery unlike anything seen before. This isn't a work of fiction. Across the globe, excavating contractors have unearthed everything from dinosaur bones to Roman villas. In 2007, a routine sewer line project in York, England, unearthed a near-perfectly preserved Viking settlement, forcing a complete redesign and a scramble of archaeologists. These discoveries pose a fascinating challenge. Construction projects have tight deadlines and budgets. Preserving the past can...