Day 5 - Can you see what it is yet?

Yes - its looking so much like a long house. Then again...But also....

NO really, its beginning to look very much like a long house. That is a house with a barn or cow byre down slope, but joined on, with a fireplace either central or at the uphill end of the building. The building is oriented so that its longest length is from high to low on the hill, so it is probably early in date. Later houses tend to be built along the contour of the slope.

Trench 4 arrived today courtesy of Ed who lovingly cut turf from part of what will be another big trench (aided and abetted by Margaret). We hope to find the top end of the building here. In the event several huge stones emerged that are all in a line - wall I hear you say! There were also some curious finds, which may be sulphur which has been heated up on a fire and is now in an allotropic form referred to as "plastic" sulphur.

Our old friend trench 3 has had more than a few clean ups, but the dry and windy conditions make an immaculate finish rather hard to achieve. There is still medieval pot coming up and very white painted river pebbles (an early attempt to help people avoid them in the dark?). The cobbled surface is really beautiful, but the walls are missing. This is our first "robber tench" where stone has been removed and the evidence remaining is clear in the soil deposits as a grey coloured soil where all the rest is red. Adrian, Sam & Sue valiantly cleared the rubble from the collapsed walls and we hope to find the floor soon, although is may be some way down yet. A number of broken stone roof tiles were part of this rubble. If there is a whole roof here it will take ages to get under it.

Richard and Jay cleared the yard surface to the west of the building (this could still be inside if we have interpreted the masonry incorrectly) and the finds are lots of coal and cinder on a fine red clay soil. We have not yet reached anything resembling a surface here.

Today we have had a number of visitors to the site who are curious to see whats coming up. We welcome everybody who wants to see whats happening and we are happy to stop work and talk about it. If you are passing come on in.

Many thanks to everybody who has dug this week. Its a great start. The weather has been kind. Hopefully that will continue for the next two weeks.

If you would like to get involved call at the site or meet in the car park opposite the village hall at 9.30 any week day morning. We could really do with some pot washers as the finds are mounting up and its takes ages to sort them out.

Todays digging crew - Jemma, Jan, Ed, Adrian, Sam, Jay, Richard, Sue, Margaret, Debbie.