Today was a very exciting day for Area F, especially the trench supervisor Mark Shattock, as a piece of Beaker pottery was found assocaited with a burial which makes this the earliest grave discovered on the site. This style of pottery is typical of the late Bronze Age giving this particular burial a rough date of between 2500-1800BC; this is the first time we have ever had Beaker pottery found on site adding another 2000 years onto the range and it is believed that it could be associated with a Barrow cemetery which lies North-West of the site.
Beaker pottery sherd with impressed cord decoration
Also in Area F, a very nice polished bone has been found in a large chalk pit. It was found by first year students Conor Brogan, studying Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences, and Bertram Beanland, studying Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology. It is extremely polished and a very rare find as it would have taken many of years of use to polish it so well. It is thought to be either sheep or goat and has small scrapes along the side, thought to be man-made, and could possibly have been used somehow in the weaving process.
The highly polished cow or sheep bone found in Area F
In Area H another burial has emerged only this time of a juvenile. Alice Barth, a first year student studying Prehistory and Roman Archaeology, is excited to be excavating a burial on her first digging experience. She is being supervised by second year student Allan Griffiths who is studying Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences. Planning of some features has also taken place in Area H today which has proved quite difficult yet successful.
Alice and Allan exposing a juvenile burial
Second year student Laura Boxell, studying Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences, and first year student Jack Martin-Jones studying Prehistory and Roman Archaeology tried planning the feature today which, due to the awkward positioning of a pit by a ditch section, meant there was no surface to place the survey grids on to; however this was quickly sorted when a ladder was laid on top of some wooden posts perpendicular to a taught measuring tape which then eventually supported the weight of the surveying frames. It just goes to show that you really do need to try and make the most out of the equipment you have when you are on a dig site!
Jack and Laura planning a feature