Hard rain fall from the preceding night has dampened the trenches, creating a distinctive contrast between archaeological features and the Cretaceous chalk. The definition of the features and different context compositions within them was greatly increased and clear. The moisture in the soil caused it to become much more soft and permeable, enabling easier means of excavation.

Miles Russell suggested that the excavating team should take advantage of the rain’s impact; excavation could continue without the use of harder tools such as mattocks. The increased contrast between chalk and feature also aided the clear photography of features. Miles also reminded students to keep loose soil on the minimum, in order for a safe and efficient exiting of the site if the weather conditions became unsuitable.

As a result of the rain further features have been identified in each of the trenches, including possible round houses, gullies and sub-circular features. Some of these newly identified features were not visible in the map that reflects the results of geophysical prospection. It may be that the fill of these features does not vary in any great degree from the Earth’s magnetic field. Perhaps the strength of the geological magnetic field masked that of the features, causing them to be imperceptible. While undoubtedly useful in identifying areas of archaeological interest, geophysical prospection techniques, including magnetometery, do not eradicate the need for excavation. Excavation can produce a more robust body of information from which interpretation may be built upon.

Within both trenches, the osteological (largely fragmentary) remains of cow and sheep have been excavated from some of the sub-circular features. In Trench A many pot sherds have been excavated from numerous features; pot sherds that have some evidence of the rim can aid an assessment of the chronology of the site and features. A quantity of Black Burnished Ware and a sherd with a bead rim was excavated in Trench A would support a Late Iron Age date for some of the features. Only during the later stages of excavation will it become increasingly clear whether features are associated with each other, or whether they represent different (possibly unrelated) phases of activity. A clay tobacco pipe has been discovered within one of the features in Trench A, suggesting the disturbance of the contexts. As mentioned in previous posts, this may be a result of ploughing action or burrowing animals. The absence of Cornu aspersum (snail species), compared with some of the previous seasons, is a positive sign; this species is indicative Roman occupation, as it is usually imported by the Romans for culinary purposes. However, also within Trench A, a large, possibly rotary, Roman quern stone was found at the bottom of a sub-circular feature. Over in Trench B, pit features have been excavated, many of which have contained a quantity of burnt flint, charcoal and animal bones. Also uncovered were pot sherds diagnostic of Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Some of these have been cautiously catagorised as ‘Deverel Rimbury Ware’ (MBA). The temper of Deverel Rimbury consists of coarse, ground burnt flint. Does this bear association with the the amount of burnt flint excavated in the two trenches so far?