Sorry for the radio silence... I think we've all just been recovering, and trying to fit back into regular life! Adjusting back to living between four walls and under a roof has certainly been a challenge.
The week after the dig finished, Wendy and I, along with some much appreciated help from Neil Mason, finished off the last few bits of drawing, context recording, and geomatics, before covering the entire site in geo-textile (a rather unpleasant dusty fight against the wind!). Wendy finished off sampling the well, before the shoring was finally taken down, and the well was filled in again for the last time.
On Tuesday our two machines were back on site bright and early, and the backfilling began in earnest. It's certainly a time of mixed emotions... it's nice to be at the end of a very good month of digging, but also a little distressing to see all of that soil dumped back in the hole!
We have plenty of people to thank for their help this year, including Will, Peter, Lizzie, and Max at the Fleur de Lys Pub in Dorchester, for putting up with our muddy boots and providing sensational food; Prof. Chris Gosden, Dr Clifford Sofield, Priscilla Lange, and Ian Cartwright for their talks to the students; John Gibbs and Alan Davis for their assistance with managing the dig; Angela and Ian Reid for putting us all up in their field for the first two weeks; Geoff Russell and the Dorchester Parish Council for the use of the Pavilion showers; Granville Laws and Chris Smallridge at Oxford Archaeology for all their help with the logistics; Rob Bashford at Oxford Archaeology for his advice and assistance with the well shoring; Lee at Qik; and Dave, Adam, and Alfred from David Beecroft Ltd for their hard work on the machines at the start and end of the dig.
Thanks also to all of our supervisory team, of Dr Wendy Morrison, Laura Jones, Abi Tompkins, Peter Forward, and Patrick Roberts, and to all the diggers who worked so hard to make this such a successful season!
