Mistake…or Correct Procedure?

I think this article about archaeologists being "duped" is too harsh on the team involved. Yes, they thought a combination of documents and fieldwork had located a medieval manor, and yes a test pit did discover it was just natural gravel. But surely that’s the entire point of digging a 'test' pit: to test your ideas and see what’s actually there. Doesn’t sound like a duping to me.