Thursday 3rd October 2013

Yesterday’s start to our excavation at Arncliffe was cancelled due to the weather but after a slow journey to the site, either due to a gas tanker (in my case) or five cows which ambled down the lane towards our target fields, we were today able to start the next stage of this project in warm, dry but not very bright conditions – note there wasn’t even one midge bite all day!

Roger told us what his priorities were and delegated us accordingly.  Alison and I, despite me not having ever put up a tent in my entire life, were instructed to erect the toilet tent – obviously a high priority task!  Both of us hope it is still standing tomorrow morning…

Latrine duty   (c) photo by Jane Lunnon

We then joined the rest of the workers where the previous excavation (2000) had been done.  Roger explained that we not to re-excavate the same area but would be putting in a trench just to the river side of it.  He hopes to establish whether there are likely to be any more deposits in this area – either human or animal.  He pointed out where the field wall had previously been either repaired or re-erected and told us he wanted to take it down to reveal about 2 metres of the previously undisturbed ground surface… but that was after we had put together the big top tent which needed to be placed either side of the wall!

Ruth, Pauline & Alison 's Iwo Jima re-enactment  (c) photo by Jane Lunnon    

After my vast experience (with the toilet tent, of course) I expected this to be very quick as there would be 6 of us involved – it wasn’t as easy as that!   All the metre length poles had to be fitted together, and boy were they a tight fit!  First of all we did one half of the skeleton structure, then we had to pass it over the wall (nearly 3m high from the field surface at that point of the mound) – and without scratching Roger’s magnificent white paint!  Then we repeated the assembly for ‘our’ side of the wall.  When we had got the two halves joined together it seemed comparatively simple to put the canvas cover over the frame, but I must stress it was thanks to Roger’s splendid acrobatic manoeuvres up a step-ladder to get it straight!

Putting up the canvas  (c)  photo by Jane Lunnon  

After the lunch break Roger explained how we should take down the designated section of walling to enable the dry-stone waller, after the excavation, to put it all back together as easily as possible.  Additionally we needed to be very, very careful not to remove any stones to destabilise the wall and had not to lift anything too heavy or send any stones cascading down on to someone else’s toes! 

Many hands make light work  (c) photo by Jane Lunnon

After we began to remove the filling at ‘our’ side of the wall, it did begin to became a little unstable so two strong men (Alan and Peter) were sent to Coventry – no I mean the other side of the wall – so it could equally be lowered at either side!  First aiders were not needed and, just as the weather deteriorated, we finished our task for the day – we had got down to the undisturbed ground level at the top of the mound.

Ready for tomorrow's digging  (c)  photo by Jane Lunnon 

They say we learn something new every day and this was my first (very enjoyable) experience of demolishing a wall - oh and erecting tents! 

Pauline Dodsworth