Week 9

We have made good progress in the trenches this week despite some heavy rain. Trainees have remained undeterred and have continued to learn about archaeological processes in and out of the trenches. This week especially, trainees have had the opportunity to look through the pottery reference collection and to put a date on the archaeology that we have found by cross-referencing pottery found on site with known dates from the collection.
Trench 4 The wall which has been a major feature of Trench 4 since the first week has become the main focus of attention this week. To the south, the wall had a noticeably different, and rougher, appearance, suggesting that it was a later repair or extension. The week began with planning this section, and its removal revealed a cobble foundation layer. On either side of the wall we have continued to remove thin layers of material. Careful removal of these mixed layers shows a sequence of dumped deposits with some small features cut through them. These deposits have been the major source of finds in Trench 4, turning up brick and tile, animal bones and a variety of medieval pottery.
Trench 5 After the removal of the deposits which made up the series of cobbled road surfaces, we are now concerned with the recording and excavation of the deposits underneath, These show the familiar signs of being dumps intended to build up the ground surface under the road, and are mainly composed of brick and tile fragments, cobbles, and occasional patches of mortar.
The south eastern part of the trench remains very disturbed, and a feature packed with cobbles has been excavated, though its exact function remains unknown. These deposits appear to be coming down onto a layer of dumped cobbles, which may well extend across the entire trench. Finds this week have included a piece of a copper alloy object alongside the usual selection of bone, pottery, brick and tile.
Trench 6 After the removal of the wall footing last week, Trench 6 suddenly looks quite deep. This trench was one of the worst affected by the rain, but an excellent job cleaning the trench has ensured that work continued regardless. As a result, a series of small occupation deposits could be picked apart, enabling trainees to learn the vital skills of excavating thin and subtly different layers. This trench has turned up unusually large amounts of animal bone this week.
Trench 7 In common with trenches 4 and 6, the wall footing which was first uncovered in the early weeks of the dig has been removed. The northern blocks were left in place though, to help support a thin block of potentially very old archaeology left upstanding in the centre of the trench. Following this, work has begun excavating the deposits under and alongside the wall, and the construction cut of the wall has been fully revealed and extensively cleaned. This week's main finds date from the medieval era, especially green glazed pottery.
With only three more weeks to go it will be a challenge to answer all the questions that the archaeology is asking us. Keep checking the website to see how we get on!