This week the site welcomed a group of local people and students from other academic institutions, who have travelled to volunteer in the excavations. A number of the volunteers have participated in the preceding seasons of excavation, as such, they have experienced the development of the investigation in Winterborne Kingston since it began. The Field School, Young Archaeology Club and Open Day are enriching aspects of the project; they provide the opportunity for individuals to gain experience in archaeological field practice and learn about local prehistory. The engagement of public interest both commercial and academic focused archaeological investigations is important in affirming the place of archaeology in the context of digital media, in communities and in a wider public sphere. The sentiment is summarised by Plog and Fritz (1970, p.405 – 412):
‘…unless archaeologists find ways to make their research increasingly relevant to the modern world, the modern world will find itself increasingly capable of getting along without archaeologists….’
In Trench B, a stone loom weight was uncovered in an Iron Age pit, perhaps this is a hint towards the type of domestic activities that may have occurred in, or nearby the roundhouses. The looms themselves do not tend to survive in the archaeological record, neither do the textiles produced (only in rare cases). The loom weights would ensure the tautness of the woollen threads while they were woven. In Iron Age Britain the predominant source of material was sheep wool. A La Tène 1 (Hallstatt) clothing pin/brooch was discovered in the fill of a ditch.
Elsewhere in the trench, the osteological remains of a perinatal dog in an Iron Age pit. Dogs have been discovered in previous years in the project, in a similar features. In DBD 2013 the excavation of an Iron Age pit revealed the articulated skeleton of a puppy. Perhaps it would interesting to compare specialisation in canid morphology across Iron Age Britain.
Fritz, J M and Plog, F T . (1970). The Nature of Archaeological Explanation. American Antiquity 35(4): 405–412.