Figure 21. Smaller stones were carried up the steps in a grand 15 minute ‘parade’ in which the 20 members of the Commodus Gate Preservation team participated. 21-10-2015.
Figure 28. While stones were being removed, another part of the team began removing the soil using buckets and ropes. The strategy was to remove the thinner layers from the edges where bedrock was higher to isolate the deeper and thicker layer in the middle. This and the following 20 photographs show the soil ‘melt’ away until the final remnant is removed from the deeper center. 20-10-2015
Figure 33. NE corner 2. Full buckets ‘flew’ up rapidly, and mounds of soil accumulated. 1-11-2015.
Figure 30. Taking the high ground first – in a sea of wet sediment. 27-10-2015
Figure 27. Stone up 5- over the edge! 24-10-2015.
Figure 12. A huge quantity of stone was thrown into the reservoir in the past 20 years. Foreman Ali Aqil serves as scale, 19-9-2015.
