Friday 11th October 2013 

 

Things are winding down now. 

 

This morning Ann, Ian, Lynne, Hugh, Alison, Maggie and Vera backfilled the two smaller trenches and replaced the turf.  

Meanwhile, Ruth and Peter continued digging at the southerly end of the main wall trench.  Here the base of the wall was gradually uncovered to reveal a very carefully laid underground section, very different to the jumble of stones that make up the mound under the wall at the other side.

 

The backfilling finished, Ian and Lynne moved over to help in the main trench whilst Alison instructed the rest of us in drawing an accurate section of the trench side, showing the different levels of the field surfaces, the base of the plough soil and the stony mound.  This proved harder than it looked. 

But the spirit level doesn't lie!  (c) photo by Ruth Spencer  

The base line that looked perfectly horizontal with a spirit level was proved by the Total Station to be MASSIVELY out (well, 10 centimetres).  But at last it was done.

 

Lively discussion with Jo and Michelle  (c)  photo by Ruth Spencer  

In the morning we welcomed Jo and Michelle, bone specialists from Bradford University, who carefully examined the pieces of bone that have been recovered.  They worked with us into the afternoon, observing the trench operations.  Thankfully they saw the funny side of long discussions, and some considerable confusion, about defining the various archaeological contexts. 

 

It was a COLD day.  The easterly winds blew over a number of small flocks of returning fieldfares, fresh from Scandinavia (well done Alison and Hugh for noticing).  The swallows, so numerous so recently, have all gone.  It was definitely autumn.

 

Vera Brearey