SilchesterDig

So, what is happening in Hen’s area this week? Hen is in charge of the southern area of the excavation, with the responsibility of stripping the soils here back to the natural undisturbed geology of the site. Hen’s area is potentially one of the most exciting on site as this is all very new territory. She is well into the Iron Age, and with every post-hole, pit and ditch she uncovers, we write a new chapter in Silchester’s pre-Roman life. The features she is excavating are forming into diagonal alignments running north-east to south-west or north-west to south-east – clearly some form of early town planning is taking place. Hen is ably assisted by her Assistant supervisor Lauren, and her two trainees Charlotte and Lizzi. This week much attention is being lavished on ‘Scraps’ – a small terrier-like dog discovered buried in a shallow pit at what looks like the junction of 2 foundation trenches for a building (more on that later!). Grace has been lovingly working on this small Iron Age creature – and, in true Silchester tradition, has given it a name: Scraps! Grace did a lovely job and, in time,  Scraps will be shipped to our animal bone expert so we can find out more about him/her!

Scraps under excavation

Dog Bones!

This week has also seen the completion of the early Roman well being excavated in Hen’s area. This well was begun last season by Richard and Lauren – and this season John Browncontinued the good work by  masterminding the shoring and crafting a smallbut perfectly formed team of well diggers: James, Richard and Ben (and Felix too!). Sadly although excavated in true text book style and with great aplomb – there was nothing of note at the bottom….this is a first for Silchester as we ALWAYS find a whole pot or two at the base of our deep features. But, not this time! However every inch of this well has been recorded, samples taken and finds lifted – so it will eventually tell a compelling story of early Roman life.

John Brown and Hen (and a Barbarian....Richard)

A craftsman at work

Week 4 can be a challenging week for Silchester ‘old hands’…we have been on site long enough to feel the tiredness creeping in…..but we still have one third of the excavation to go. Monday 25th July saw 24 people leaving the excavation as their digtime was up, and 28 new people arrive. So, a net gain – and this week’s total on site is 148. I gave my usual Monday morning timetable: an hour’s welcome and introduction to the project – everyone looks so apprehensive! At 10am I gave a Site Tour to the 14 people who had never been before, whilst the 14 who had been before were able to go on site and be re-acquainted with their Supervisors. After tea, I gave them a Site Tour, and the 14 newcomers had an introduction to Finds Processing with Elise, followed by an introduction to Science@Silchester with Cindy. At 12.30 I gave the obligatory Health and Safety briefing, talking about the perils of Silchester flint (very sharp), sitting on your trowel (ditto), and the ‘Silchester Smile’ (painful sunburn between the top of your work trousers and the bottom of your t-shirt). At 1pm it is lunch, and after lunch all digging newcomers are in the trench with their area supervisors uncovering Silchester’s late Iron Age and early Roman archaeology. It really is that quick!

Week 4 is an important week – at the end of this week we lose the main University of Reading undergraduate cohort, who have now been with us for 4 weeks…and are therefore valuable! They have learnt the ropes, and many of them have discovered a lifelong passion. Even if they haven’t, 4 weeks on site will have turned most of them into good, reliable excavators – and we will miss them when they go. So, we need to make the most of week 4…how much archaeology can we get done?

The eastern half of the excavation is still in the early Roman period. The amount and detail of archaeology here is astounding; Natalie, Matt and Rob are painstakingly recording a number of clayfloored buildings which apparently relate to the very earliest Roman street, running north-south through the town. This early street seems to be set directly onto the natural geology and represents a striking symbol of Roman authority; we speculate that this street is laid in place in the early 40′s AD. The buildings relating to this street are complex, and those being excavated by Natalie are certainly industrial, to judge from the foci of burning all over the clay floors. These wooden workshops of mid 1st century AD date are being recorded – written about, drawn, photographed, sampled and excavated – in extraordinary detail. Rob and Matt’s buildings just to the north of these workshops are perplexing – and multiplying in number! We started the season with possibly 2 buildings here, and by week 4 we have increased the number to possibly as many as 6. These buildings are identified by their clay floors and their central hearths – but little else is known as yet. We are uncertain as yet about their exact date (although they are definitely Roman), function, alignment – but their existence is demonstrating just how busy this part of the town was in the 1st century.

Looking north from the cherrypicker: Natalie's buildings in the foreground; Rob's and Matt's to the north

It was a busy Monday…..a steady stream of interested visitors; I think our Open Day did the trick! Laura and her Visitor team worked tirelessly welcoming everyone, and we had a school visit from Sherfield School. It is going to be a good week.

A bright, sunny day with a small breeze…wind speed is most important when you have hired a cherry picker with a 30m high aerial platform.

Up we go....Amanda, the 'other' Amanda, Nick and Zoe

Peter, the ‘driver’, is a gem. He has worked with us for the past 2 or 3 seasons, and always has a tale or two to tell about the various ‘celebrities’ he has raised on high…..most recently a near miss with Brad Pitt on location. We felt honoured to be on the same platform that Mr. Pitt very nearly was.

We hire a cherry picker twice a season, once on the last Thursday of the dig for our final excavation photos, and once on a Sunday as a ‘thank you’ to the excavation donors and supporters whose generosity allows us to keep digging for another year. This particular Sunday, Mike and I have a full programme of visitors who will be joining us 30m above the excavation. As it turns out, this is an ideal day to view the excavation. The sun is out and the site looks tantalising: full of features showing dark against the soils, and hitherto unnoticed alignments. Nick and I spend a happy half an hour joining the dots from our birds’ eye view and speculating on the Iron Age town layout.

An aerial view.....what can YOU see?

I love going up in the cherry picker (although I must be honest and say that the slightest lurch has my heart in my mouth and a dozen lurid headlines lived through) – and it is a great way to show off the site, both it’s location within  the Roman town and the Hampshire countryside. All of our supporters were suitably impressed.

Talking of being impressed……Mike lost his professorial gravitas when he spotted that some of our distinguished visitors had brought with them none other than one of the coolest female archaeologists in the universe – River Song, Dr. Who’s love interest, played by Alex Kingston – who, we ALL agree, is fabulous! If you don’t know who River Song is….where have you been hiding!? She gets all the best lines in Dr. Who….for example, ‘I love a good tomb’. It doesn’t get better than that! Mike was delighted to take Alex and her daughter and a friend up in the cherrypicker…I think he may have been more than a little starstruck (she also played Boudica in the British film released in 2003….very serendipitous given Silchester’s possible connection with the Iceni queen)…News quickly spread around the excavation, and Alex was soon inundated with requests for photographs…she made James and Richard’s day…no actually she made their year! She was extremely complimentary about the excavation and gratifyingly interested in what we are doing. So….who could not enjoy a job which involves aerial ballet nearly 100 feet up, sparkling Hampshire countryside with miles and miles of green horizon, fresh and exciting archaeological discoveries, one of Jean’s wrap sandwiches and a chance to hobnob with Hollywood stars on a daily basis? It’s all good…and so, week 3 draws to an eventful end as I meet the week 4 newcomers, arriving all bright-eyed and bushytailed for their first taste of Silchester archaeology!

James, River Song and Richard!

Mike, Alex Kingston, Amanda

River Song

Saturday 23rd July was our first Open Day of the season – and, thankfully, after a week of showers, torrential rain and a chill wind, the sun came out – and welcomed a host of visitors. I enjoy our Open Days (although I do experience a fair bit of advance anxiety!) because everyone joins in, dresses up, helps out – and the day gleams with enthusiasm and a love for what we are doing, both from the participants on site, and from our Visitors.

The day always starts manically for me – and I was on site from 7.30am to help the BBC Learning Unit set up their stall and sandpit. The Radio Berkshire Radio van was also there; Mike did an early morning breakfast interview from home, and I spoke to Henry Kelly on his radio show at 9.45am. Before that, I gathered all Open Day helpers together: a crowd dressed in togas and blue paint, all excited and eager for the day to begin…and Laura and I bossed Jon about – collecting tables, putting up signs, sorting out prices for teas and coffees, giving guidance to all about the day ahead. Jim went down to the Public Car-Park to oversee Visitors’ parking, and at 10am sharp we opened the gates and a steady stream of people headed into the excavation area.

The day begins....

The day revolves around an hourly site tour from myself and Mike…..

…..and this year we had help! In the form of 50 plastic headsets….Mike and I dance around on site with a microphone…and everyone else wears a headset! They were a brilliant addition to the day – in the past Mike and I have had to contend with the weather, sore throats, extremely large numbers – and, no matter how loudly we shout (and Mike does have the appropriate professorial ‘boom ‘), people do struggle to hear us. Additionally, we have had to stay close to the walkways so that our audience can catch our every word, and this limits our ability to go into the trench and point things out – which would seem to me to be essential for any good site tour. So….our wonderful headsets were hired for a 2-week duration…and today was their first outing. Mike loved them from the start…I was a little more apprehensive….but after my first tour, I was a convert. It is odd for anyone watching who is not part of the tour….they cannot hear what Mike and I are saying without wearing a headset, and so we appear to be conducting a fabulous mime from the site’s centre! Downside of the headsets…they cost…..a lot…..and we could only afford to hire 50. This did mean that some visitors were unable to join a tour of their choice – and for that we apologise…but until we win the lottery we can afford no more……

Headsets in action!

Those wonderful headsets stack neatly in wonderful boxes...

Those wonderful headsets...

We had several special guests at the Open Day: Reading Museum brought along their travelling exhibits and drew the crowds with their artefacts and childrens’ activities. But this year we also had the BBC’s Hands On History event, aimed particularly at young children…especially popular was the ‘Dissect a Poo’ activity…..need I say more?

BBC's 'Hands On History'

But the star of the day was, without a doubt, one of the UK’s biggest and best producers, Oscar-nominated Duncan Kenworthy. Duncan has produced, amongst other films,  ‘Love Actually’, ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’…..and Silchester’s association with him began with the recent release of ‘The Eagle’, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic childrens’ book ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’. The Eagle of the book – seen as the badge of honour on a legionary standard -  is inspired by an actual find from the Victorian excavations of the forum-basilica – a bronze eagle, now resting in the Museum of Reading. It’s a great read – and the film is fun too, very ‘boys’ own’ to my mind but enjoyable nonetheless. And Silchester – Calleva – features in the film as the place from where the great adventure begins. Duncan gave us 2 talks this Open Day, about the making of the film – one to the public in St. Mary’s Church, and one to the students in the marquee.

Duncan Kenworthy with Mike.....I like the notice in the background!

A rapt audience

Duncan spoke about his love for Rosemary Sutcliff’s book as a boy, and how that had led his desire to make a film of it. And so….Silchester and Hollywood unite! I was sorry not to hear Duncan speak myself, but someone had to keep the dig running! And run it did – despite the numbers of visitors (we had nearly 1000 over the course of the day!), and the challenges of digging in a bed sheet, we managed to keep digging!

Ben...a well digging 'ogre'

The well under excavation

James - one of the 'ogres' working down the well

I enjoy the afternoons of Open Days the best. By then I am into my stride with the tours – my morning tours can be a gaggle of mixed-up words and phrases as I try to tell my story! – the area outside the trench is inundated with visitors, all chatting, asking questions, drinking tea, taking photographs, being face painted….It can take me half an hour to get from one side of the trench to the other as so many people stop me and ask me questions…it is very rewarding to hear the fascination and interest visitors have for the site. At least we are not alone!

One of Mike's tours

The Finds Team in action!

Matt's Childrens' tours

Mike - and Lisa, the Viking.....?

And so the day drew to an end…I had done 4 tours and my voice had all but given up….but my body could not…as that evening the entire excavation was invited to a Barn Dance organised by Suzie Williams and the Silchester villagers. Nick and Biddy West had very kindly lent their barn for the occasion – and the villagers had provided a hog roast, a subsidised bar and a band. So Mike and I donned our ‘yeeha’ gear…checked shirts, cowboy boots and hats…and off we went! What a fantastic evening! The sun went down perfectly, the hog roasted itself to perfection’ alcohol always tastes better outdoors – and we all danced (or tried to..). How we danced….how did we dance?? I have to say that I had some of the funniest moments of my life watching Mike attempt to apply reason to a Strip the Willow…when everyone is drunk on a long day, sunshine, hootch and hog. We all had left feet only – and there was no rhyme – nor reason – to anything we did! But, we did have fun. Thank you so much Suzie and villagers – it was a great occasion….I left when my feet would not carry me anymore, still hoarse from one of our most successful Open Days. Lie-in on Sunday for an extra hour!

The Barn

The Hog

The 'Dancing'

On Saturday 16th July we held an archaeology day on site for those with MS and their families and friends. Sadly the weather was not kind – we could not dig on site and it was cold and blustery. Nonetheless Kevin and his family visited us, along with John and Helen – and we showed them the variety of activities an archaeologist does on site – we talked through finds processing and Elise brought out some of our prize finds; Cindy showed off our sampling system and described the environmental evidence an archaeologist works with and looks for – and I took them around site and talked about digging techniques. Their enthusiasm was infectious: Helen had studied Archaeology at Bournemouth University before being diagnosed with MS, and she loved to dig; John is a trainee chef who has always had an interest in Archaeology – and Kevin’s daughter Maddy was clearly an archaeologist in the making! It was an inspiring day.

A Finds Talk from Elise

John

Science at Silchester

Cindy explains Science @ Silchester

Hen's 1st century AD well

Maddy et al in the Dig Pit

Reading Chronicle's article

……the Anne Diamond Show! Listen again on:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00hx3td/Anne_Diamond_21_07_2011/

Interview's Beginning

This programme has been several weeks in the making…a visit from John Hudson, Producer of the Ann Diamond Show 3 weeks ago…..they ARE interested in the archaeology, of course they are…BUT they want personal stories too : met and married at Silchester, Silchester changed my life, behind-the scenes at a major university excavation, Silchester:springboard to fame and fortune! So, I spent quite a bit of time asking participants if they minded their life stories being broadcast to Berkshire…..surprisingly, most of them were up for it!

The morning began with an introduction from Mike and myself….an explanation of why we are here….the ‘big hole’ we are digging…..and a realisation that no longer are archaeologists ‘bearded geeks’!

Firstly Flex and Benn describe the mechanics of digging, and Ann is taught to excavate on one of Natalie’s clay floors. Elspeth is then persuaded to describe h0w Felix and she bonded over a spread of Silchester gravel 3 years ago and are now getting married next year. We then moved on to talk to Elise in Finds…chased Jean, John and John around the Marquee to hear all about Silchester’s logistics, cooking and behind the scenes organisation.

John, Jean, Ann, Amanda

We then had a wonderful interlude with students on the excavation – I felt so proud when Hannah, Richard, Ben and Kevin all talked about their reasons for coming to Silchester, and their experiences here. If ever I wonder about why I give up 8 solid weeks of my summer (and 6 months leading up to it!) – then the answer was here, in the words of these four. Inspiring!

Another interview with Mike and its then onto Cindy and Science at Silchester.

Cindy on interview...if looks could kill!

Ann was keen to understand what we are sieving for and the kinds of evidence we are uncovering. Cindy was a natural – so nervous at first, but them her passion and enthusiasm for what she does taking over and shining through. Ann was entranced.

Setting the Scene

Go, Cindy!

Nick and Dan then talked about their excavation work in foreign climes – the upside of being a field archaeologist; have trowel, will travel: Dan to Qatar, Crete, Jordan; Nick to France, Jordan, Crete – amongst other places. It was a chance to talk about employment prospects for field archaeologists….and the itinerant lifestyles of those of us who choose to open trenches and dig holes in preference to raising families.

We then move on to interviewing visitors to the excavation: a school group, and amateur archaeology society, a birthday party of youngsters.

Janet Firth for Berkshire Archaeological Research Group is interviewed

...and so too are Nick and Biddy's grandchildren in the Dig Pit!

Finally, it is behind the scenes for a Double Amanda interview: Amanda Moore is my Admin Assistant, and also oversees entry of all archaeological data into our archaeological database, the Intergrated Archaeological Database (IADB).

Amanda 'n Amanda

Lists of Lists

Interview's end

Today…Friday is a day off and I am slowly, slowly catching up with my blog…..tomorrow is our first Open Day of the season….join us!! the weather is set fair and I will see you there!

Today I arrived on site at 7.30am in order to meet and greet the cherrypicker ordered by the BBC for a day’s filming with the excavation for Digging for Britain with Alice Roberts. Great excitement all round…..best bibs and tuckers on site as we faced the cameras. It turned out to be a great day – there was very little disruption to the excavation, and the crew were professional and aware (apart from Natalie’s clay floor which suffered from the cameraman’s boots…..sorry Nat!). Alice was charming – easy to work with, fun and interested in what we were doing. The day began with filming from the cherrypicker as Mike introduced Alice and viewers to the trench and the archaeological story.

Mike up high

This was then followed up by a close-up in the trench as I led Alice onto the excavation and pointed out the layout of the Iron Age town. We were emphasising the hybrid nature of the town…..typical Iron Age features, the ‘diagonal’ layout of the streets to the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, mixed in with the Roman north-south grid; native round houses and a rectangular Roman-looking building. Alice and I perched on the side of the well, now dated to Ad40 to 60, and we looked at a selection of finds: local Silchester ware, rough and ready for drinking beer, mixed with fine Italian imports: samian ware drinking cups and terra nigra platters from north-east France for wine drinking and fine dining. Calleva’s local inhabitants took the best of Rome and mixed it with their own native culture.

Amanda and Alice

The afternoon was spent filming with Mike in the trench, teasing out the early Roman story….the tantalising evidence for a military occupation and the possibility of a destruction layer attributable to Boudicca. The final piece of the afternoon was Lisa showing Alice the sieving process and describing the evidence of exotic imports her PhD work is producing  – evidence of celery, dill and coriander from late Iron Age wells on site. She has also found preserved animal bedding, dung and hay from Trapper’s late Iron Age well, excavated a few seasons ago.

Lisa and Alice

It was a good day – the rain held off, and a glass of wine with the SagaLouts was most welcome at close of play!

What do we do when it rains at Silchester? It is an enormous challenge to my organisational skills…what DO we do with 150 plus people head to toe in waterproofs…all looking for something useful to do. The first challenge is to gain control over the situation…it is like herding cats! So, Jon and I round everyone up as best we can, and we all head into the Marquee. I then stand on a stool and announce the obvious: ‘it’s raining’. I then offer: finds washing and environmental sorting in the Marquee; a chance for Reading students to read their Handbooks; revision sessions on stratigraphy with Supervisors. The boilers are put on to provide freeflow of teas and coffees…and we wait to see if the rain will stop.

Marking pot in the Marquee

Fun with Finds

Cosmo and James discuss the archaeology

Elsewhere, we try to keep things kicking over….HQ tries to use the time to catch up with lists, list of lists, e-mails, e-mails of e-mails. Amanda and helpers add context cards to the Integrated Archaeological Database, the Visitors’ Team give site tours to those hardy locals heading out with wellies and dogs into the damp of Hampshire.

Michelle, Charlie and Alex - ready to greet any Visitors

Simon undercover

As a first day for newcomers, I introduce them to the infamous Silchester Lists – displayed in the Marquee – and to the rules and regulations which are the backbone of the excavation. The cook hut remains an oasis of calm throughout…whatever the weather. Hot soup was the order of the day today!

Jean's noticeboard...sandwich choices...

Protecting the site from the downpours

Week 3…..a week of unsettled weather conditions coinciding with our busiest week of visits so far….Sunday 17th I organised a farewell drink for Chris Ball…my longest serving Supervisor on site. Chris has been with the project since we began in 1997, and has been one of my Supervisors for many digging seasons past. She has trained countless Reading students – and others! – in the mysteries of field archaeology…and has seen her northern area of the site all the way down from late Roman gravels to…late Iron Age gravels…We toasted Chris’ health in pink Cava, outside HQ, with flowers and a card…and then….

2pm....and the heavens open......

The rain bounced off the excavation as though on small trampolines, and we all ran for cover, spilling Cava as we went…

The view from HQ....

And so the day ended on a very soggy note…

Note empty bottles in the centre of the shot.....

I felt a little sorry for the 42 new arrivals. Setting your tent up in monsoon conditions takes guts, determination and the ability to think very very positively! Week 3 is underway!

I realise that I have so far said very little about this season’s archaeological aims. Partly this is because the archaeology has been progressing very nicely in the background behind all of the immediate day to day concerns which make up a large dig like Silchester…

But – here goes! The trench encompasses 2 different date ranges; the late Iron Age and the early Roman. The early Roman archaeology (c. AD 40 – 60) is located in the complicated south-east area of the trench where Natalie is supervising the excavation of at least 2 early Roman buildings, both with a central hearth and a clay floor. These are clearly workshops of some kind; the mass of charcoal and the intense reddening of the floors supports this, along with the presence of huge numbers of fragments of cooking vessels (Silchester ware) buried within the clay surface of the northern building – including at least one – and probably more – intact whole vessels buried on their sides. Their purpose is as yet unknown – possibly for holding water to quench any industrial processes being carried out? The key thing to note about these buildings is that they are on the Roman orientation i.e. orientated north-south/east-west and, along with Matt and Rob’s clay-floored buildings to the north, represent a brief emergence of the traditional Roman layout replacing the original Iron Age ‘diagonal’ layout here. These early Roman  buildings appear to be relatively short-lived, and by the end of the 1st century AD, are replaced again by the original diagonal layout. These Iron Age origins are strong and do not give up easily! Rob and Matt in the centre of the trench are each supervising areas which are revealing these clay floored buildings on the Roman alignment. Like Natalie’s buildings they contain hearths, and like Natalie’s buildings they too have no discernible limits. We cannot find their walls! So – the aim of these 3 areas is to explore and investigate the layouts and functions of these early Roman buildings…..could they be evidence of a brief military occupation of Calleva for 5 or so years after AD43…before the army moves on?

Everywhere else the site is into the Iron Age. Trapper and Chris are supervising the northern area of the site and, amongst other objectives, are excavating the surfaces of the diagonal Iron Age lane running in a curve across this area. We know this lane was still in use in the early Roman period, and contemporary with Natalie’s, Rob’s and Matt’s clayfloored buildings – but when was it constructed? And what lies beneath? To the north of this lane Chris is stripping the area down to the natural geology: at first sight this area looked barren – but now, especially after a number of heavy rain showers, we can see beam slots – some on an east-west alignment, and some on the diagonal alignment. There are alos large numbers of post-holes, small pits, stake-holes – and even a possible well – making an appearance. To the south of the Iron Age lane, the aim is to strip the undifferentiated garden-like soils away and reveal the Iron Age features dug into the natural geology. Once again the last few days rain is revealing large numbers of pits and linear features, possibly ditches, clustering on the south side of the lane – and we believe we can also see the emergence of a round house here with a compacted gravel floor and an enclosing gulley. It is early days but we are hopeful.

In the south-west and southern areas, Sarah is working beneath the return of the Iron Age street here and has revealed a large number of linear features and lines of post-holes which mimic the alignment of the later Iron Age street. These are probably the remnants of fence-lines, palisade trenches for allotments, all organised and extending into the centre of what may turn out to be an Iron Age ‘block’…a predecessor to the later Roman insula – and evidence that the Iron Age town was to some extent planned and organised. Hen, to the south and east of Sarah’s area is stripping back large swathes of Iron Age soils to reveal the features beneath: pits, ditches, beam slots and post-holes. The aim here is to begin to understand what the Iron Age town looked like – what did the buildings look like and where were they located?

And – to top it off- Hen is supervsing the excavation of a well in her area. John Brown has shored it beautifully and for the past 10 days Richard, James and Boris have been learning the mechanics of well-digging: shoreing, pumping out the rising water table, and digging extremely wet, extremely claggy material – which has to be hoisted up over 2.5metres and then taken to the environmental team for wet sieving. These are practical support skills which are integral to excavation work – and John is taking care to pass his knowledge on.

The well in Hen's area

A bird's eye view down the well

Richard: chief well digger!

Fresh from the well!

And over to Lisa in the Environmental area!

So – there we are…poised for great discoveries over the next 4 weeks!