M. Járó - L. Költő szerk.: Archaeometrical research in Hungary (Budapest, 1988)

Analysis - TAKÁCS István: Collecting biological finds by water-sieving from the well of a mediaeval village

Table 3 Labour expenditure for water-sieving at Lászlófalva Qualification and form of employment Percentage of total work-time at the excavations Funding, source Archaeobotanist (full time specialist) 60-80% fixed salary provided by external sources Archaeozoologist (full time specialist) 40-50% fixed salary provided by external sources Restorer (full time specialist) 80-90% fixed salary provided by external sources Student hand, male (hired on contract) 100% excavation budget Student hand, female (hired on contract) 100% excavation budget Manual worker (hired on contract) 5-30% excavation budget Summary Large scale excavations were carried out near Lászlófalva (the Mediaeval Szentkirály) in Bács-Kiskun county under the direction of Dr. András Pálóczy Horváth. A well in the Medieval settlement had been filled up by ÜIR inhabitants, thus organic material in the well was well preserved. This contemporary sediment formed a distinct layer at the bottom. Water-sieving seemed to be the most appropriate method for recovering small finds from this sediment, since most of them fell in the lower size ranges of visual perception. Sediment from the well was carefully separated. The wet material was further diluted by adding water then portions of this substance were sieved through a series of laboratory screens. This procedure was carried out repeatedly to ensure the recovery of small finds of diverse shapes: some structures which were large enough in terms of their biggest dimension to be collected by larger mesh size, might have been lost due to their smaller width measurements. This method guaranteed the recovery of an unusually rich assemblage of biological remains. Naturally, water-sieving is equally important in finding small archaeological artifacts. While the method was very successful from the viewpoint of recovery, some difficulties must be considered as well. This work is most easily carried out at the archaeological site itself, partly because of the excessive cost of transporting large masses of backdirt. In addition, most institutions where water-sieving might be carried out are usually not equipped with appropriate drainage systems to let the refuse silt through. Of course, small samples may be water-sieved at any museum as long as the disposal of backdirt may be ensured.