Friday  31 st May 2013

After two days of cleaning back, the features have become distinguished enough for excavation to properly begin. Taking feature size and proposed excavation technique into account, students are allocated a certain area and feature under a supervisor. For many students, this is the first archaeological feature they will have ever worked on and so will be learning the proper troweling technique, recording, such as context forms and section drawings to record. Feature 2002 from Area J has produced some pretty remarkable finds today just from initial excavation. In particular, iron finds were recovered with a ring that has unfortunately been crushed out of shape, as pictured below.

Photo of the ring recovered from feature 2002 taken by Tara Scott, courtesy of Bournemouth University.

In addition, a beautiful bone pin from the Late Roman period was recovered, as also pictured below.

Photo of the bone pin recovered from feature 2002 taken by Tara Scott, courtesy of Bournemouth University.

Excavation is now showing what exactly particular features are. For example in Area J, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology student James discovered his allocated feature was a furnace/hearth, as pictured below:

Photo of the furnace/hearth from area J being excavated by Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology student James.

In addition to the excavation, dating features associated with the ditch of the Banjo Enclosure are helping to build up the picture of the extent of the multi-phase occupation and activities on the site. Project co-director and site geophysicist Paul Cheetham states:

“We have proven some features that have pre-dated the ditch of the Banjo Enclosure”.

This dating evidence will help fuel the overall interpretation of the Durotriges Project!