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