Had to choose between hand excavation and a mini excavator on a Roman site in York last month

I was digging a trench near a suspected villa foundation and the clay was absolutely brutal after 3 days of rain. My supervisor said grab the mini excavator but I stuck with hand tools to avoid smashing any tile fragments. Ended up finding a complete roof tile but it took me twice as long. Has anyone else had to pick speed over safety like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emery24d ago

Feel you on that tile discovery though... totally worth the extra time.

wendy62824d ago

Pick the mini excavator next time and just tell the supervisor you’ll go slow - your back will thank you for it. I’ve been there with wet clay and hand tools, it’s a total slog for something that might not even be there. You saved that tile but lost your whole afternoon, so it’s basically a wash in my book.

hugo_robinson2524d agoTop Commenter

Mate that clay sounds like an absolute nightmare, I've had wet London clay grab my shovel and refuse to let go before. @wendy628 makes a solid point about saving your back, but honestly that roof tile makes the whole thing worth it in my book, sometimes the slow way pays off in a way that speed never can.