St Leonard's Excavation — the second season

Week 8 31 July-4 August 2002

Site guides, left to right, Ian Downes, Jayne Rimmer , Casey White and Hugh Corley

Torrential rain this week caused major problems on site, particularly in the uncovered part of Trench 1. Once the water had been bailed out, though, the trainees continued to excavate with their usual enthusiasm, albeit in somewhat muddier conditions. As well as the excavation modules, another building recording course took place this week. So far over 6,300 people have taken the opportunity to visit the excavation and watch as small finds and pottery, and bone and shell are excavated. There are information panels on site, and extremely helpful guides to explain features of the site to visitors. Feedback from visitors has been very positive, with many remarking what a thrill it was to see live what before they had only watched on TV. Several have been heard to hum the Indiana Jones theme tune as they wander around!

Trench 1

Inside the covered area of the undercroft a large possible construction pit, associated with the earliest part of the building, was excavated. This is very similar to the pit containing a post-pad nearby, and the two may be related. A piece of un-worked jet with some incisions, which had perhaps been prepared for use, was found in the pit.

David Weeks and Heather Flowers excavating the construction pit, with rubble excavated from it in the foreground

Outside, trainees started to photograph and draw the exposed section through backfill deposits of the medieval drain cut, and, opposite this, the side of the medieval drain itself. They also began excavating down from the exposed stonework of one of the undercroft columns revealing more of the column base near the drain.

Further layers were peeled off the Roman turf rampart, and more Roman glass and Samian pottery were excavated.

Trench 3

Returning trainee Imelda Conyngham examines the records while other of this week's trainees examine the trench	Ben Reeves and trainee Unni Vik excavate in the drizzle, protected by the trench cover

Work continued excavating the complex sequence of occupation layers of the hospital. A large medieval nail, some 10cm long was found here, as well as the usual bone and pottery.

Recent finds

Click on thumbnails below for larger image.

	Worked bone
	Roman glass from the Roman interval tower deposits.
	Roman coin before conservation
	Oyster shell from the Roman turf rampart