Report: Hectic week at the dig!

The weather held fair for another week.

On Thursday, we welcomed Laura from ArcHeritage who was here to lead the fieldwalking in and around the site.  There were trips to the beach to collect finds and record find spots, as well as much measuring of lumps and bumps in the fields and investigating woodlands.

Jo, Leo & Laura on the beach (thanks to Brian K for taking the photo)

Friday was our first Open Day this year,  and special events included Community Archaeologist Jon, from York Archaeological Trust, who supervised Trench 4. This trench is purely for the use of local school children, Young Lake District rangers and 'have a go' diggers. Outreach Co-ordinator Lisa brought four school parties to site, and what happened will be the subject of a future blog.

Jon and young trowellers in Trench 4

Trench 4 was open for business on Friday and Saturday, and will also be available on Saturday 27th September. We are, of course, open Wednesday to Sunday, and tours and further information are available.

On Saturday, the dig donned its Heritage Days gladrags. Janice, Tourism Development Officer for South Copeland Tourism, kindly provided lovely pink bunting and ballons which bedecked our gazebos. In addition to her tourism job, Janice is also a volunteer Finds Assistant for the dig, bringing her superb organisational skills to sort out unruly finds and staff.

 Gazebos and bunting (with Finds Assistants Rosalie and Janice - in hi-vis jackets - on the right)

We were also visited by the Chairman of the Lake District National Park committee, Mike McKinley and committee member Hugh Branney who toured around the site, as well as viewed the finds set out to dry.

Janice, Mike, Hugh & Jeremy with drying finds

At the end of Saturday, we waved goodbye to Jon, who winged his way back to York. Sunday was Laura's last day, and as there are no Sunday trains out of Ravenglass, she will travel back to Sheffield on Monday.

Next week, we're looking forward seeing Environmental specialist Nicola from Northlight, who will be offering the chance to process samples from the site. And of course, there will be much more digging and lots of finds!

Report: 1st-7th September – getting started (again)

A long week, but well worth it! The staff spent two days setting things up. The site accommodation now includes separate cabins for the finds staff and the diggers, and a walkway to maintain the ground surface in wet conditions.

By the fourth day the trenches had been completely cleaned by the volunteers, after John Wilson's trusty machine had removed the topsoil. A fantastic effort! All three of last year's trenches were re-opened (yes, there is that much archaeology still to investigate there). 

Cleaning up the trench and removing Terram laid last year to protect the archaeology

In Trench 1, the northern limit of the Roman road was revealed. Some 10m of the road's width was observed in the trench and it probably measured about 15m wide overall, taking the geophysical evidence into account. Excavation of a modern pit, cut into the Roman road, indicates that the road was laid on a thick bed of metal-working debris.

Cleaning Trench 1

In Trench 2, a layer of rubble in the centre of the trench was removed, revealing a cobble surface. The row of stone blocks found last year does appear to be a wall, although so far there is no sign of a corresponding parallel wall. The extensive layer of burnt deposits to the south seems to be the result of prolonged industrial activity, probably mostly metal-working.

Trowelling Trench 2

In Trench 3, more of the large stone structure, probably the foundations for a timber-framed building, was revealed. A sondage at the north, low-lying end of the trench unexpectedly encountered a series of features, so even here there was a lot of activity.

Trench 3

This coming week, we hope to make more exciting finds in all three trenches, and there will be a new face providing the fieldwalking activity, Laura from ArcHeritage.

 The first 4.15pm site tour, Rowan's Trench 3

Kurt Hunter-Mann, York Archaeological Trust
Romans in Ravenglass Site Director

Digger's View: Trevor Batchelor - Fieldwalking on the beach!