Picked careful grid mapping over a quick shovel test at a site outside Flagstaff, and it paid off

Xena Rivera · 2026-10-24T15:10:04.0034+00:00

I had to choose between digging a quick 30cm shovel test or setting up a full 1m grid with string and nails at a site outside Flagstaff, and I went with the grid. Slow start, but two meters in I hit a clear hearth feature with charcoal still in place, which a random test pit would have sliced right through. Anyone else here swear by the slow grid setup on sites like this?

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Picked careful grid mapping over a quick shovel test at a site outside Flagstaff, and it paid off | Archaeology Discoveries - Vivisector