A Perfect Location for a Settlement
While observing the site from my point of view - looking eastward, I was thinking at which spot I would start metal detecting. On the topographical map, the site looked like this:
This Was How the Terrain Looked Like from My Point of View
At that moment, Dima waved his hand to me and called me over. So I crossed the gully and climbed up the slope of the plateau. Right away, I noticed many pieces of pottery scattered on the ground.
A Fragment of Ancient Jug
Even though the plateau was littered with ceramics - a good sign of the ancient settlement location, the metal detecting signals were absent. Dima and Sergei decided not to waste any more energy and time at this spot and started walking towards the bluff.
I metal detected the spot for a while but to no avail - I had not got a single "beep" even of a bronze type. It was another puzzle for me. All things considered, this spot would be perfect for a settlement: an elevated plateau was surrounded by the gully and could easily nestle a few dozen of houses, with both a water source and fertile soils available. And the presence of both the scythian burial mounds nearby and the fragments of antique ceramics on the ground pointed to that assumption.
Maybe the ancient people did not have much to lose in those times? Maybe I should switch my mind from the ancient times to a later medieval period? For sure, the site contained some goodies - I could feel that, and certainly was worth of exploring further. Now it was time to abandon all scientific methods of finding a "hot" spot and apply a clairvoyant ability of human mind.
In my treasure hunting experience, many times I would walk straight to the "hot" spot at the metal detecting site as if I was following someone's instructions. Or I would have a feeling of wanting a certain item, either a relic or coin, and recover it later that day. It is impossible to explain these things, one just has to believe in them... Meanwhile a large cloud covered the sun, and I decided to seat down, rest, think and change my perception while admiring the wild flowers.
