The view across the site today was dotted with planning grids and people drawing sections, and this intense recording may be the reason that the few artefacts have been found today. Once again, the conditions were cloudy and rainy for most of the day, but as before, this has been an aid to revealing further features that were previously not visible. Overseas visitors from America joined us at the site this morning, with plenty of pits and ditches still left for them to excavate and record. Hopefully these features will be as rich in finds as the majority of others on the site.
The final few hours of the day had to be spent in the tents as the rain became too heavy to work on, but not before another adult skeleton and several more baby skeletons were discovered. The adult found in area ‘A’ was previously found during the sectioning of one of the terrace house platforms, where part of it became visible. Now that the baulk has been removed, ‘Brucey’ is being excavated and will soon be lifted from his crouched position. This individual does not appear to be buried with a pot as most of the other burials on site are. Fascinatingly, a ring was found around the finger of another area A skeleton. It is broken into several pieces, and the question of what this item of jewellery meant to the owner is still intriguing – why did he wear it on that finger? Who gave it to him? Why? Who made it and where?
The students and visitors are becoming more and more proud of their excavation work as pits and ditches become deeper than they ever thought they would be, leaving them with a sense of achievement at the end of the day, and hope for the next day being full of more interesting finds and further progress in their features. It is likely that most are also hoping for better weather as the week goes on, but at least there is the knowledge that even more features may be revealed if it continues to rain!
Lauren and Zoe
Day 14: Students undertaking section drawing of a half-sectioned (half dug) circular Iron Age storage pit. After completion of the section drawing, the other half will be excavated.