keiths
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by keiths on Apr 16, 2007 18:00:52 GMT 1
Can anyone out there give me a rough estimate on how fast a person in the Bronze or Iron Age using the tools available at the time (antler picks, cattle scapulae, or whatever) is likely to be able to shift earth while digging? I reckon about 1/2 cubic metre an hour is reasonable, but if anyone thinks that I am way off let me know. I want to get a rough estimate of how many man-hours it would take to dig a 200m enclosure dith to about 2-3m depth.
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Post by Toby on Apr 16, 2007 19:52:09 GMT 1
Keith,
I am sure that some studies have been done... maybe try a google and just hope that you do not get too much rubbish.
Personally 1/2 a cubic metre per hour is a lot of soil to shift, even with good tools. A sample tub is 10l, so imagine filling one of them many times over.
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Post by ellie163 on Apr 17, 2007 0:32:56 GMT 1
There has definitely been experimental work on it but I can't now think of by who. I know Renfrew used 'man hours' a lot though, especially in his whole tribes to chiefdoms theory with Neolithic monuments. Something on causewayed enclosures might help.
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fee
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by fee on Apr 17, 2007 21:58:01 GMT 1
Hi Keith,
I've done some searching on the internet; hasn't actually come up with much. I did find data for the ditch at Brodgar, but that was cut through solid rock; hmmm... To dig out approx. 4700 cubic metres took c.80000 man hours. I think that works out at c.0.06 cubic metres of rock per man hour, less than 1/10 of a cubic metre. I know this is rock, not soil, but haven't managed to come up with much else.
Richard Bradley does mention two studies (or the like) that have been done regarding estimation of labour forces needed for large monuments, i.e. enclosures.
___Startin, W. & Bradley, R. 1981. "Some notes on work organisation and society in prehistoric Wessex." In C. Ruggles & A. Whittle (eds) Astronomy and society during the period 4000-1500BC. p.289-96.
___Abrams, E. 1989. "architecture and energy: an evolutionary perspective." In M. Schiffer (ed) Archaeological method and theory. p.47-87.
Apologies for waffling. I'm starting revision for my Neolithic exam tomorrow, so I might manage to come up with something more useful.
Take care,
Feex
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keiths
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by keiths on Apr 19, 2007 0:59:07 GMT 1
Thanks to all who contributed to this, I finally settled on 0.125 cu m per hour as a reasonable estimate. I did have a look through the internet but didn't come up with much. there were a few for chalk (I suspect that is a bit more glamourous than plain old dirt). I saw some references in Renfrew papers but he just tends to come up with a value of (n)ooo man hours without giving details of how he got there. Anyway the thing has to be handed in by tomorrow evening, and I will need to devote tomorrow to drawing hatchures, and proof reading. Off to bed now I've been looking at a computer screen for the past 12 hours, and am going boss eyed.
Good luck with the Neolithic Fee
All the Best.
Keith
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