Today, I overheard Dr Weber after he had a meeting with someone from the Council for British Archaeology (the Brits took all of our coins, weapons, pottery etc.).  At first Weber was explaining the Council had kicked him out of the country and he will be banned from ever returning for excavation or even vacation for illegally digging.  He then admitted giving them all of our finds except the scrolls before starting to rant and rave about being kicked out of the Archeological Institute of America and the Society for American Archeology and threatening "to make them all pay."  At first I thought he was going to go back and go postal on them, but he then said he was going into to town to buy gasoline to burn down the shed and the scrolls.  Apparently, they are calling him a lunatic and a fraud and that the scrolls were some sort of ruse to get back his life after being fired.  
            I agree with the lunatic part, but not the fraud.  We did dig up those trunks and many of the artifacts we unearthed are already on their way to the British Museum in London!  The guards have left, apparently they weren't getting paid anymore.  I am going to collect the scrolls and head out of here.  I have no idea where to go, all I know is I will leave.
 
Last night, I had a go at getting to the scrolls that were in the three chests when Professor Weber went into the pub.  I had a run in with one of the two remaining guards.  I am convinced Dr Weber has totally lost it.  I am so worried and not sure what to do.  
A member from the British Archeological Society came by today to talk with Dr. Weber.  He came with a constable.  They were supposed to take a tour of the two sites, but both suddenly disappeared?  I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw one of Weber's guards leave in the car they came in?  The implications of this are too horrible to think about.  I just emailed the West Mercia Constabulary about this.  I do not have access to a phone and am restricted to my tent-no further digging, and they won't let me near the scrolls or other finds.
      I fear if I don't get out of here soon I will end up suddenly disappearing like the poor souls from today.  I don't understand why their constable/coppers don't get in here.  I also can't figure out why the Council for British Archeology doesn't come in and protect their cultural heritage.  Weber obviously hasn't been following protocol from the beginning, which technically makes everything we have been doing a crime.
      I hear Dr Weber coming over, I know the guard did not get a good look at me last night, hopefully nothing will come of my attempt to get the scrolls.
I recorded myself trying to get the scrolls with Anne's old camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M12CNTwsMj0&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1 
 
The trunks are out.  Doc Weber took my cell phone, so no pics or vid.  I asked if we could look inside the trunks once they are out, he said no.  Anne and I are freaking out, this stuff has to be worth a fortune and priceless historically.   When Anne asked where this stuff was going to end up, and about including the Council for British Archeology, Dr W fired her on the spot.  She barely had time to pack before being "escorted" off the premises.  She managed to slip me her very old Sony camera-there was nothing on it, but I could take some video and pics with it.  Dr W. threatened me and tried to take my laptop, but I talked him out of it.  I am freaked out!  JJ, I read your comment from a couple of days ago.  Anne is now gone, am feeling trapped.



Huge!

11/20/2012

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  1. We found something, something huge.  At first we had no idea what we had found.  We had to clear an almost completely degraded outer box, several layers of cloth and tightly wound rope before we got to the good stuff.  There are three trunks unlike anything I have ever seen.  There have degraded Viking symbols and runes all over them.  Obviously no idea what is in them, but given the detail work and obvious quality, it has to be something big.  Dr W went crazy.  At first I thought it was excitement, but it was just him on his ravings.   He took our wireless sticks to keep us from talking about these chests, but Anne had a spare one that JJ had smuggled to her before he left.  Dr Weber just hides out in that old castle shed all night ranting.  We are totally going stir crazy here.  I've heard of trench warfare in WWI, this is like the archeological equivalent-we literally live in the trenches!
  2. We are a few days away from fully excavating the area around the chests.  The weather has been spectacular this week and really helped our cause.  Today it was 55 and we continue to make awesome progress.
  3. I tried to reach out to the police because I am so worried about Weber and  someone's coming, got to go.


 
Everybody who was here and affiliated with the U has left/been fired.  We now have “guards” all over the place.  Not sure where they come from or who they are.  Prof Weber said to leave them alone and we won’t get hurt?  What?  Just Dr Weber, Anne and I are left other than the field school team of English students.  Our access to internet is almost non existent, I have to be quick.  I overheard the professor arguing with someone on the sat phone about funding.  Apparently, it is coming from a “private source.”  We have our diagnostic artifact!  We found a scroll with something mentioning Æthelred II or the Unready which confirms what we knew from the coinage.  It was super cool (other than Dr W freaking out).  He took the scroll to this old castle like building which has been converted into a shed and wouldn’t let us near it.  Anne and I aren't allowed to go off site.  The weird is getting eldritch.  

 
Anne and I have found something huge after crossing a stratigraphic level!  Lots of coins which are sure to be diagnostic artifacts.  Once we get them cleaned and cataloged they should tell us the time period.  Anne and I have our strong suspicions.    We have unearthed many weapons and period pieces and I can tell you they are certainly from over a thousand years ago.  Great news right?  Well, not so much.  The visiting professor who was here was apparently not from the U of Birmingham, but she was sent here from the Cultural Resources Management or heritage management people here in the UK.   
             What's worse, she has gone missing.  I feel like one of those stupid teenagers on the camping trip when Friday the 13th happens.  Apparently, as JJ had suspected, there are some problems with our permit, or lack there of?  Some trip this has turned out to be.  We are working sixteen to eighteen hours a day.
      Something is way off with the Professor, he isn't letting us cataloguing the pieces correctly.  I have had limited time on the internet, but I did get a chance to check out what you said Tiffany and his website and his classes are all off the U's site.  Anyone have any other info?  Also, let me know if you hear from JJ.  Anne and I are convinced he was fired.  We are doing our best to stay on Weber's good side (if he has one!).


 
Hey everybody.  Tiff, I got a chance to peruse your website!  Looks good!  If anyone hasn't seen it, it is at http://tiffanyarcheology.blog.com/   I hate to think someone as smart as you is forced to wait tables to support you and Chloe.  Has to be hard to save tuition money like that.  Unfortunately, I am a nerd, not a fighter, otherwise your ex would be in trouble!

Anyway, this has to be quick.  Anne and I have been working almost nonstop-fourteen to sixteen hour days.  We did find out we apparently have some private funding source, but nothing more specific.  We have heaters and everything as well as new lights.  Haven't seen JJ or anyone else for awhile.  Dr. Weber is definitely acting totally bizarre.  He obviously thinks we are on to something big.  The temps were in the high 50's when we got here, now it is usually low 50's.  Today's high is only supposed to be in the forties?  What is funny is that the weather here is remarkably steady, like yesterday, the high and the low are both the same!  So no freezing nights yet.  
p.s. I saw Chloe's pics on facebook, she looks great!  Need to go, Hunter. 
 
                The digging has been going great.  In fact we have gotten into some really amazing finds.  We found some awesome pottery, a few are intact, and even a few weapons.  It smells of something bigger coming.  The coolest thing we found was an old map that mentioned something important being buried about a km away.  So, we are adding a second dig site over in a place called the Far Forest in Worcestershire.
                This new site is mentioned quite specifically in this ancient map (it is well over 1k years old).  The site is very remote and I thought, great this is going to take a year or two!  Not!
                 When Anne, JJ and I went over there we found out it has already been cleared and set up?  It is near Dowles Brook and is quite a raw area, so who did the grid and digging so far?  Not sure.  JJ, who has been here the longest said that he believes several teams of doctoral students and post-docs have already come and left, fired by the apparently mad as a hatter Dr. Weber.
 
              Another weird thing is a strange letter came to Professor Weber yesterday.  JJ thought it had something to do with him being fired from the U?  Dr Stoddard, the visiting prof lady, left in a huff as well.  I think she is from the University of Birmingham and I overheard that she has been asking Dr Weber about procedural questions?  Like maybe he hasn't been in doing things by the book here.
                Tiffany, or anyone have you heard anything about Dr Weber?  I know you aren't there anymore Tiffany (sorry, once I get done with my post-doc project and get a real job, I want to help out with tuition).  It makes us all wonder where in the heck all this funding is coming from?  Apparently not the U or a grant.  JJ is going to confront Dr Weber about it soon.  I was going to call you guys but it is eight hours difference and is tough to get access to the sat. phone. 
10/31/12   
                   Anne and I moved to this new site today.  The camp site is pretty good, nice and sheltered and we really think we found some of the landmarks mentioned in the map.  We stopped at a nice pub, the Plough Inn and had lunch.  Prof Weber told us to stock up as we wouldn't be leaving for awhile.  I guess he expects to find something good there-with as much prep work that has been done, if there is anything there, we will find it soon!
  On a side note, I have to give a shout out to my Giants!!!  On Sunday (28th) they won the World Series!!!! :)  Can't believe I missed it:(  Hopefully this doesn't mean the team will ask me to fly out of country if they make the world series again:)
 "Cheers" as they say here, Hunter



Picture
Plough Inn Far Forest
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I snapped a quick pic of an old map of the Far Forest region. It is amazing how little has changed around here! Pretty cool actually.
 
Sorry about the lag in posts.  We are digging now, the other guys have a ton of work done.  JJ says hi to everyone.  Apparently he is in the dog house with Dr Weber (he took JJ's wireless USB from him).    Where we are digging is not playing card shape and not roman, we found some pieces probably dating from the 1300's CE, mood is tense and Dr W has us all freaked out.  I think he is mad because he is such a Roman history freak.
       Anyway, the awesome news is my beloved SF Giants beat Detroit in the World series 2-0 to take a 2-0 game lead (that has to be auspicious right?).  I can't believe that as soon as I leave the country he Giants get super hot!
Picture
Anne working with a visiting Prof that Dr. Weber knows, Dr. Stoddard
 
Camp, is well, camp!  The tents and sleeping bags are adequate.  We have a small kitchen tent and we do have wireless internet through T Mobile with a USB stick so I can do some updates.  Dr. Weber wouldn’t let me or Anne go to the dig site again today.  No, he didn't give an explanation.  He just seems really frazzled.  I was hoping to catch up with JJ and the gang.  We did get a chance to walk around a bit.  Anne took the picture below.  The weather here is really quite chilly, but not too bad.  The only good news is the Giants beat the Cards a couple of days ago 5-0 I heard!  This is our year!!!  Well, I hope.