Excavation notebook “Trapeza. Plans, Pottery, Photographs, [stroses]”

Department Archive
Collection John Pendlebury Family Papers
Reference No. PEN 4/1/1
Level Item
Place Trapeza cave
Dates May 1936
Scope and Content Material relating to the excavation of Trapeza Cave near Tzermiado, Lasíthi Plain, Crete (4-19 May 1936). This excavation took place under the auspices of the British School at Athens and was conducted by John Pendlebury, Hilda Pendlebury, Mercy Money-Coutts and Ralph Lavers. With Manolaki (from Knossos) and Ioannes Meliarakes as foremen. The notebook contains: a list of workmen (mainly from Tzermiado); a description of the cave including location, what locals said about the cave and sherds found on an earlier trip in June and July 1935; diagrams of stroses [stratigraphy] inside and outside the cave; a hand drawn plan of the Lasithi plain; a cross section diagram of part of the cave; a rough diagram of the cave divided into sections based on a sketch by [Ralph] Lavers; a “diagrammatic section of the cave, showing strata excavated”; and a catalogue of photographs listing negative numbers, description and how numbered objects were arranged in the photographs. The notebook also contains (written from the other end of the book): notes on the analysis of “stroses” [stratigraphical layers] including details of objects found in sections and bones thrown away; catalogues of finds divided into “stone vases and objects”, “beads, buttons etc and miscellaneous”, “metal” detailing reference numbers, material, dimensions, any remarks, the provenance (exact section of cave), whether there was a drawing and photograph number; and lists of seals and figurines divided into type and detailing reference number and material. Mostly in John Pendlebury’s handwriting, but also includes notes in Hilda Pendlebury’s handwriting and another person’s [possibly Mercy Money-Coutts or Ralph Lavers].