Consequently, a massive amount of pressure fell on the excavation teams. Due to the severe manpower shortage, excavation efficiency remained painfully low...
Archaeological excavation was an incredibly delicate process. Artifacts that had been buried for millions of years were fragile and couldn't withstand any rough handling.
The artifacts were already severely oxidized and dilapidated. A single careless strike with a heavy shovel could reduce a priceless relic to dust! Even if it could be painstakingly pieced back together, it would waste an astronomical amount of the Senior Scientists' time and energy.
Therefore, archaeology was nothing like standard strip-mining. Once the main streets were cleared of primary debris, the heavy automated excavators had to be shut down. From that point on, the work had to be done manually, inch by inch, with extreme care.
The archaeologists would rather dig at a snail's pace than risk destroying a piece of history.
