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13.

On the next two days four more pits(namely 11,12,13,14) were opened; with the exception of pits 3,4 and 11, which are located in Area II, all the other pits are located in Area I. From pits 12, and 13 were recovered some burial goods of the Sui-T'ang period(隋唐); these together with pit 9, are the only productive pits excavated in the first period.

In the second period we gave up all the theoretical methods and made more use of the practical experience which we were now gradually learning from our workmen.  The greater part of our activity was shifted from Area I to Area II, located in the cornfield of the Liu family, near the bank of the river.  One of the workmen who did some digging in this area, told me that he had found large pieces of lettered bones; others told me that there are places quite similar to pit 9 in Area I.  On the 16th, pit 15 was opened in this area; after on days' work, the depth over ten feet was reached, some large animal bones and unlettered bone plates were found; but at the same time it was found clear that half of this had been turned over previously.  There seemed to be little hope in continuing it.  Thus we divided our labor again and opened three more pits in Area I, because, while we were working on pit 15, the digging of the trial holes in area I revealed certain traces of 'lettered bones';these pits were numbered 16, 17 and 18 respectively.  By continually digging trial holes in Area II, further traces with grey soil were found and pit 19, 20 and 21 were located in Area II.  But in all these pits, only broken pottery and animal bones were found.

While working in Area II, I continued to elicit information from all sources, and made plan for working in Area III, that is, within the village.  On the 19th we closed all the works in Area I, and the day following we started to dig Area III.