Two different test pits

Today we excavated two very different test pits.

Excavating at Regent Crescent

One in a garden on Regent Crescent near Laithes Lane had very few finds. Was the top soil brought in from somewhere else, after it had been sieved?

Excavating at St Helen's Church

The other was in the grounds of St Helen's church, Laithes Lane. The contrast could not be greater. We dug through a thick layer of building material, iron-working slag and rusty metal. This looks to be a make-up layer of waste to help level the ground. Was it put here during the 1940s-60s when Laithes Lane was built or improved?

Sylvia sieves for finds

 

Brooks digs at St Helen's Church

The Evidence Builds

Week 1, After a lot of digging we are all improving our finds recognition,  and I have 'mastered' laying out  a 1m test pit - not as easy as you would think.


General view of test pits 5 & 6

The range of finds has been amazing.   Modern plastics, sweet wrapers, nylon stockings and fragments of shed roofs,  house slates, bits of brick, tiles and glass have all been intermixed over the years and bear witness to changes in house fashion/decoration and garden architecture.

We can all now recognise iron and glass slags which were probably introduced onto the earlier fields which predate the modern housing, to make the clay soils easier to work.

Going back in history, the 19th century has been represented by clay pipes and scatters of pottery.

Prehistoric activity is suggested by the presence of 'pot boilers' heated stones used to cook food and even a flaked flint has been recovered which was knapped probably to make an arrow head .

 Test pit 7 - with spade marks cutting into the natural clay

For just what will be recovered in Week 2, watch this space

Kate deturfs test pit 2

Test pit number 2 is deturfed - at New Lodge Crescent.

Hands on History Barnsley - Test Pits Day 1 - the video

Finds processing

First day of finds cleaning and sorting with Beryl, Carol, Pearl and Sylvia.

First test pits

Day one of the 2013 season of test pits - New Lodge Crescent, with a visit from Barnsley Central MP and Shadow Minister for Culture and Heritage, Dan Jarvis.

Digging Test Pits

We start digging Hands on History test pits in Athersley and New Lodge tomorrow. First cut will be made by Dan Jarvis, Barnsley Central MP and Shadow Minister for Culture and Heritage. Thank you to Beryl Russell for arranging it.