Thursday 25 June 2015

T-minus 3 days!

We're so nearly there. I've spent the last 3 days, with the help of Patrick and Peter, two of our supervisory staff, making the preparations on site.

When we arrived, the outline of the trench was neatly delineated by the presence of giant hogweed, which in the last two months had grown up to 3 metres tall. With the help of an 8 tonne digger and a dumper the backfill has been removed, the spoil heap piled high, and yesterday and today the tools, huts, (portaloos), have been brought to site, and our brand new marquee has been put up.

It now looks and feels like an excavation site, and we can't wait to get started on Sunday!



The giant hogweed before we started... up to 3 metres tall!

 Vegetation cleared...

Backfill removal begins. 
The cloth at the bottom (terram) protects the archaeology, and shows us 
how far down to dig to just remove the backfill. 

And 3 days later, we're practically done! C. 900 cubic metres of soil has been removed, which works out at something just over 1,000 tonnes...! Glad we don't have to do it all by shovel and wheelbarrow.

Tuesday 16 June 2015

T-minus 2 weeks, and registrations closing

We have just a few days left now before the machines come in and start to take out the back-fill, and we're all getting rather excited about the prospect of getting out of the office and into the field!

This means it is your last chance to sign up for the fieldschools, as registration will close on Friday. Don't miss out! Details can be found here, and you can get more information and registration forms by emailing me at edward.peveler@arch.ox.ac.uk.