The sun baked down on the site today, and by the end of the day it was clear that even though people lashed on the sun screen there were still some rosy shoulders and faces.

The day started with the weekly briefing by Miles Russell. He stated that as a result of the past three years the Durotriges Project has truly been beneficial in increasing our knowledge of ‘banjo’ enclosures from what we understood from the few that had been excavated over the past forty years. He challenged the budding archaeologists to work hard by excavating outstanding pits and to focus our attention on the round houses for the remaining week of the project. Similarly, by seeking the bottom of pits it can assist with determining any Iron Age ritual practices of placing objects at the base of features as ‘offerings’. So far, we have excavated 50% of the entrance of the ‘banjo’ ditch.  But, now we have concentrated our efforts to the back section of the ‘banjo’ enclosure ditch to understand and interpret how the people occupying this area may have disposed of their daily waste in the ditch behind the roundhouses.

The finds recovered throughout the day were three smoothed burnish stones that are the size of a hand, which were most probably an everyday implement.  There was also an iron fitting possibly for a door because of the two holes on either side presumed for nails, and a further copper alloy pennanular brooch.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s weather will be just as glorious as it was today.

Day 19: From top left - iron fitting, rubbing stone, copper alloy penannular brooch, and drawing a sectional elevation of the deposits filling the banjo enclosure entrance ditch