Archaeo-environmental samples are taken from all sealed features, ditch, pit, posthole or the mysterious 'other'. Sample sizes vary between 10 & 40 litres or 1 - 4 buckets of material, from which the excavator has removed any visible finds and made detailed records about the feature and its inclusions. Sampling at SHARP was slightly altered for the 2004 season. In consultation with several specialists and English Heritage it was decided that it was no longer necessary to keep 1mm residue from an entire 40 litre sample.

Our samples are initially processed on site at the 'Enviro Station' using the 'manual washover' technique. This involves filling a green (naturally) plastic washing up bowl 1/3 full of sample and adding water. When mixed this allows any organic matter to float to the surface. The water is then carefully decanted into a 500 micron sieve, this process is repeated up to four times depending on the recovery of material. The resulting 'flot' is carefully dried, labelled, bagged and sent to a specialist for analysis. 

The material that is left in the bowl is washed through a 1mm sieve to ensure a 100% collection of ecofacts and artefacts. The whole process is repeated until the sample bucket is empty. However, should a sample exceed 10 litres or 1 bucket, the second and subsequent buckets are 'floated' as described above but, instead of washing the residue through a 1mm mesh, it was decided that 3mm would be sufficient. 3mm being the largest size that could be used without significant loss of such things as fish bone, charred grain, tiny land snail shells and small animal bones, all of which can tell us a great deal about each feature. 

The residue from both 1m and 3mm sieves are carefully dried and sorted using tweezers and a magnifying glass, the resulting finds are sent to relevant on or off site teams. On site processing is very time consuming but apart from the fasination of the job, the initial results can be extremely useful in helping site supervisors and volunteers with their interpretation of individual features and the excavation as a whole.

One of the 2004 season samples from New Trench may prove to be very exciting indeed. What began as a 'black, charcoally layer' in a ditch, proved to be full of grain: rye, barley and bread wheat. There was also burnt clay and possible burnt bread (although our specialist says that it is quite difficult to tell the difference between burnt bread and burnt dung!). This sample is especially exciting due to the lack of enviro evidence for production and processing of grain. The specialist's report is eagerly awaited.

Deborah Riches 2004