Week 1 Photos
SEDGEFORD HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT
Weblog Week 1 (3rd July to 8th July 2005)
Naomi Payne
It’s been pretty wet this week and
we’ve been rained off intermittently. Stu’s new weather station shows
we’ve had almost 20mm of rain, which must be above average for July. We’ve
had two school visits, from Downham Prep and Flitcham Primary. Pupils undertook
various activities including the archaeological sand pit, basic human remains
with Martin, finds sorting, literacy (Anglo-Saxon runes and Celtic ogham
scripts), pottery and daily living (dress and food). We have also taught our
first human remains and basic excavation courses of the season.
The area of Old Trench left to excavate is now just a fraction of the original open area. The southern half of the remaining archaeological deposits on the lower slope have been cleaned to reveal a number of distinct grave cuts, and we have started to excavate, record and lift them. It appears that some of these represent the earliest phase of burials on Boneyard. Particularly rewarding has been the excavation of at least two coffin burials, although the associated iron fittings are not well preserved. Beneath these burials we have a tantalising glimpse of one or two circular Iron Age features, which we hope to excavate over the coming season. Work has also started in the northern half of the lower slope, where a number of intercutting burials, including juveniles, give the impression of a density similar to the many phases of burial in the Reeddam. This will be our main area of work for the coming season.
Because of the rain, the new Romano-British project has been put on hold until the start of next week. A significant quantity of unstratified Roman pottery was recovered when the digger opened the trench early in the week and the project will move forward in week 2.
The baulk between the Old and New Trenches is to be removed this year, a historic occasion, and the skeletons located partially within the baulk (which were first uncovered in 1999) are to be excavated. We’ll be taking the baulk down to the same level as the eastern strip of New Trench (which is bounded to the west by one of the 1958 trenches) so that the whole area can be investigated together. We’ve been digging various slots on the rest of New Trench, starting with three small boxes on the upper slope to confirm that these deposits are natural. Further slots have been inserted through some of our big ditches. Excavation has also commenced on the burial of a juvenile. This grave has a fairly distinct cut, parallel to and down slope from one of the graves excavated last season. A very well preserved and elaborate fitting within the fill indicates that this may well be a coffin burial.
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Week 1 Photos |
