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2001 Time Lapse Photography

 

We have placed a digital camera at the site that automatically takes a photograph every 5 minutes.  Each day we compile these sequences into an AVI movie and post it here (how we do it)

June 4, 2001 (1287k) The plastic over the section is removed, a scaffolding is built to excavate the upper portion of the western section, and a roof is placed over the site.
June 5, 2001 (1032k) The roof over the site is finished and the walls put in place in the early 1980s to protect the section are removed with sledgehammers.
June 6, 2001 (1055k) More work on removing the walls and then excavation begins on the upper portion of the western section.  The layer being excavated is just above the roof fall that seals this portion of the site.
June 7, 2001 (2003k) Excavation continues on the upper portion of the western section.
June 8, 2001 (1984k) We reach a layer of roof fall which is removed by hand at first.  In the late afternoon we rent a jack hammer and start to make quick work of the roof fall.
June 9, 2001 Day off
June 10, 2001 (1710k) The morning is spent breaking roof fall in the upper section of the site with a jack hammer.  In the afternoon, excavation begins along most of the western section.  Out of the picture, walls are still being taken down with a jack hammer.
June 11, 2001 (1573k) The entire day is spent removing what remained of the protective wall around the site.  The base of the wall is 30-50cm of solid concrete and takes the largest jack-hammer we can rent to remove.  Unfortunately, this sequence ends just before the final bit was removed.
June 12, 2001 (1626k) The scaffolding goes back up and excavation starts along the western edge of Bordes' section.
June 13, 2001 (2321k) With scaffolding building and wall demolition finally finished, the excavation is now rolling along on the western section left by Bordes.  The two people on the upper right are excavating in Bordes' F layers.  The excavators on the left are just now coming to those same layers.
June 14, 2001 (1583k) New angle.  On this day the camera is just over the western section where we are concentrating our work.  The camera is looking north.  The excavators in the foreground are working on heavily concretionated layers that have to be removed with burins and hammers.  The excavators in the background are working on Bordes' Level F1.
June 16, 2001 (1688k) New angle.  The camera is positioned over Square D11 where we are working in the Bordes' Level F1.  Some frames are dark because it rained heavily at times.
June 17, 2001 (1795k) Another angle.  This time the camera is again along the eastern edge of the site looking west.  The excavators on the left are struggling through large blocks of concretionated stone.  In the middle on the upper section, the excavators are working in layers that are probably equivalent to Bordes' F4 level.  On the upper right, the excavators are still in the upper portions of Bordes' F layer (F1).  Down below, several excavators are working through the lower half of Bordes' Asinipodian levels.  Out of site of the camera, Paul Goldberg is taking geological samples from the eastern section.
June 18, 2001 (2447k) Close-up The camera is back to looking into the Squares F11 and G11 but up-close this time.  The square in the foreground is full large concretionated rocks.  It has to be excavated with hammers and chisels and is slow going.
June 19, 2001 (2256k) Asinipodian We have been excavating in the unusual Asinipodian levels for days, but they have avoided the camera up to now.  You will note that at the top of the screen excavation is proceeding with small picks and hammers.  In the bottom portion the sediments can be excavated with a trowel.  The excavators also discover that they can send messages home with this camera.
June 20, 2001 (1541k) The site.  This one shows the west section top and bottom sections in full excavation.
June 21, 2001 (1436k) The site.  Same camera angle as the day before.  You can see Dibble giving a break-time lecture and you can spot Paul Goldberg (striped shirt) taking sediment samples in the upper right (Square D11).  Note that the large rocks appearing in the lower area are roof fall that separate the Asinipodian from the XYZ layers.
June 24, 2001 a (1436k) Lab Life This one shows the area behind our house that doubles as lab and dining room.  Most of the work in this scene is involves washing and labeling artifacts.  At lunch everyone piles in.  Unfortunately, the camera is overexposed.  We will try this one again.
June 24, 2001 b (1839k) Chef Dan This one shows Chef Dan preparing a special request dinner of biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon.
June 25, 2001 (1984k) Back at the site.  Square E11 is now being excavated.  This shot shows F11 in the foreground and E11 in the background.  In E11, we are in a pocket of concretionated sediments and about to start in on Bordes' F layer.  In F11, we are just finished Bordes F (Level F4).
June 26, 2001 (1329k) Square D11 - MTA - Close-up Square D11 - MTA - Close-up.
June 27, 2001 (1684k) Asinipodian close-up The camera is directly over a square that corresponds to Bordes' Asinipodian levels (probably J3B and J3C).  The excavators go through a cycle of exposing artifacts and then recording their location with the theodolite (see the next day's movie).  The plastic bags you see are for the individual artifacts.  Each one has a bar code printed on it that helps guide the artifact through the lab and analysis process. This movie also gives you a feeling for how rich these layers are.
June 28, 2001 (2166k) Behind the camera This time the camera is pointed not at the excavation but at the area in the center of the site where McPherron and Dibble do their work.  Between recording points with the theodolite (foreground) we are working with Paul Goldberg to outline  Bordes' levels on the sections.  Early in the day there is also a visit from Jacques Pelegrin who worked at the site during Bordes' 1970s excavations.
June 29, 2001 Day off.

 

June 30, 2001 (909k) Asinipodian

 

This short sequence is looking straight into the excavation of the Asinipodian layers.  The scaffolding is partially deconstructed so that the geologist Paul Goldberg and his student Karen Meligne can sample the west section.  The large blocks in the foreground are roof collapse that overlay the XYZ layers at the base of the section.
July 1, 2001 (2066k) Open House This day is an open house for the people in the Carsac area.  The camera is looking over the excavation into the center of the site where you can see the visitors coming and going.
July 2, 2001 (1900k) West Section The camera is looking at the excavations on Bordes' F levels on the upper left, and below the scaffolding you can see people continuing work on the Asinipodian levels.
July 3, 2001 (1350k) Lab and Home Life This one shows the other side of the excavation - the lab.  All the finds and all the buckets of sediment come back to the lab where the artifacts are washed (first part of the movie) and the buckets are water screened (second part).  Later the camera shows people flint knapping behind the water screening station, and still later the camera switches to people hanging out in our dining area after dinner.
July 4, 2001 (1625k) Asinipodian This movie shows excavations on the Asinipodian levels.  You can see the large roof fall that separates it from the XYZ levels below it.  These latter levels rest on bedrock and contain signs of burning.
July 5, 2001 (2064k) More Asinipodian This movie is from the same angle.  The rains have started which is why the movie starts a little dark.  For more on the rain see ...water, water everywhere.  Look closely to see a visit from Michel Lenoir.
July 6, 2001 Day off Soaking rains and floods.
July 7, 2001 (1244k) F Levels The camera is aimed at the F levels again.  First from the side and then from directly in front.  In second half, the square on the right (D11) is basically through the F levels.  The square on the left (E11) is still in the lower part of these levels.
July 8, 2001 (1878k) F Levels Aerial This movie is off the same levels but Dennis Sandgathe rigged a boom to give an aerial view. 
July 9, 2001 (2006k) Drawing One of the last things we do each season is to draw the sections left by our excavations.  In this movie, the dark-haired woman roughly in the center is Kanani Paraso, and she is drawing the sections.  The rest of the people are working on removing the rest of Bordes' F levels.
July 10, 2001 (2090k) Record Day This day is a continuation of the day before, but this time we set an all time record for the number of total station points recorded in a single day (625).  The record was set due to a) the richness of the F layers, b) the total station work of Sheila Larkin, and c) the prism work of Matt Skinner. 
July 11, 2001 (1161k) Visitors This movie still highlights the focus of our work - finishing the F layers, but the camera is shift a little so that we can catch some visitors.  We missed our first set of visitors, but towards the end of this short movie Jean-Philip Rigaud and Jan Simek appear briefly.
July 12, 2001 (1118k) Lab crunch The excavation is finished and now nearly everyone is back at the lab to finish everything before the end of the season.  This movie shows people sorting small finds from the screened buckets of sediment and labeling artifacts.  McPherron and Dibble are also in the background looking at this year's stone tools.  The movie carries through lunch.
continued (1120k) More drawing Meanwhile, Paraso is back at the site finishing the drawing while work goes on in the lab.  The end of this movie the scaffolding comes down so we can take final photos of the sections.
July 13, 2001 (1858k) The End In this the final movie of the year, Paraso finishes the drawings and then the tarps covering the site come down.  Finally, black plastic is put up to cover and protect the sections during the winter.  The black plastic also prevents things from growing on the sections.