While digging continues apace on site, environmental samples are put through the flotation device every day. This includes a tank that is connected to a fresh water supply with material mesh placed inside; into which the environmental samples are placed. The samples are broken up by hand which causes the water inside the tank to overflow and any light remains that float will then tip over the spout and be separated through two sieves, coarse and fine. The excess water flows into a soak away sump.

Breaking up the samples by hand

The aim of the flotation device is to separate the light and fine samples from the heavy residue samples so that micro fauna, molluscs and charcoal can be found in order to help build up the environmental record and the evidence of human impact on the environment. The coarse and fine sieves are then are then emptied onto clean bits of cloth and left to dry before sorting. The heavy residue sample, from inside the tank, is then drained of any excess water and transferred to a clean piece of fine mesh, making sure it is correctly labelled with the same context number to ealate it to the feature excavated.

Overflow of water into the fine and coarse sieves before ending up in the soak away sump

The samples will then be left to dry before being sorted through in the environmental hut that we have on site. Gethyn Phillips, who has just finished his third year at Bournemouth University, is currently supervising the flotation tank as well as second year supervisor Josh Bower and everybody on the site gets a chance to use the flotation device. Today Ed Hughes and Yvette Barbier, who are both studying Archaeology, are spending the day sorting the samples. They are joined by Alastair Clavey, studying Heritage Conservation, and Janne Sperrevik who is studying Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences.

Gethyn, Josh, Ed, Alistair, Yvette and Janne using the flotation device

Laura Boxell