The Big Dig

The final day started with one last site briefing from Miles Russell and Paul Cheetham, the project directors.  With ideal digging conditions many research questions have been answered despite the fact that there is still much to do and new questions always arising. In Area F, more cow bones have been found during the excavation… Read more » about Day 24 – the final day

In Area F, progress has been made and it has come about that the skeleton found yesterday by Selina and Sandy is that of a sheep. The remaining section of this pit has been uncovered today and has yielded some two Iron Age Black Burnished Ware pots. One was fractured and the other was complete… Read more » about Day 23 – penultimate day

Today has been filled with planning in area H with finishing touches being made on context and feature forms as well as section drawings and feature plans.  The ‘corn dryer’/lime kiln has been excavated with just one section still left to take out hopefully in the remaining two days; this can be done now as… Read more » about Day 22 – final stretch with finds still appearing

Today in area F pieces of mortaria, from a mortar and pestle, have been found in the housing platform that lies west of the site.  This is in the same area that the elbow pestle, which was found on day three, was from, and builds up a good picture of habitation.  Mark Shattock, the trench… Read more » about Day 21 – last minute find

Good progress was made in Area F today especially on the, possible late/post Roman, building platform which lies on the east side of the ‘banjo’ enclosure. Students are currently excavating down through a demolished mortar layer to see whether it is recent ditch backfill or if it is part of the platform construction itself. The neonatal… Read more » about Day 20 – burial, bracelet and soil samples