Julie has been doing some research -
This website may be of interest for anyone who may have been intrigued by the graffiti on the window glass from the training dig:
http://www.medieval-graffiti.co.uk
This is a website for a project based in Norfolk, but it gives a good idea of the range of graffiti that can be found. There is also some good 16th century graffiti at Acton Court, which includes ships and the names of the inhabitants.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Monday, 6 June 2011
This is Deva - Chestival report
Flynn tells us what happened at the big event this past weekend -
The excavation has officially finished, but there was still work to be done. The Chestival extravaganza engrossed the city with one of the main focal points being the hoards of re-enactors that filled Grosvenor Park to the brim. The Romans and the Celts had come to town, (although I use those terms loosely) bringing with them a feeling of wonderment that captivated all visitors. As part of the recreated Roman military camp that occupied the park, with tents ranging from those of surgeons to that of a blacksmith, our excavation featured prominently in activities available to visitors. Much like the open day, a plethora of information was made available to the public, including site tours, ‘Create a tile’, the wondrous Mini Dig and the now world famous 'Dumpy Level Arcade' featuring alongside the finds tables, colouring sections and information point.
The first day began as it ended, drenched in blistering sunshine. The day was glorious, and sure enough the crowds began to flock into the park even as the set-up was still taking place. With the furious heat of the day raining down, it was a test of our strong-willed team of hardy volunteers to appease the crowds and ignite their own interests in archaeology. All members of the archaeology team taking part were busy from the outset with scarcely any time to catch our breath as the curious visitors inquired into our activities of the past four weeks. Even after enjoying various beverages the previous evening as a celebration of the completion of our excavation, the team stood strong and once again appeased the masses.
The most popular of the activities once again proved to be the Mini Dig enthralling (almost) all participants; whereas the Dumpy Level arcade seemed to have suffered a fall from grace as many visitors shunned its delights in favour of the Mini Dig. As the day began to wind down, due to most visitors choosing to attended the gladiatorial battles taking place in the amphitheatre in the afternoon, the volunteers had time to ponder the day’s events and give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back. The expectation of 10,000 visitors to the park could very well have been met - it was a triumphant success.
The following day was predicted “to be a different animal”, and that it was. The day began grey and glum with showers. This seemed to create a different atmosphere in the camp - it had nothing to do with the fact that several of the voluntary group had enjoyed another evening, night and early morning of pleasant revelry following the first days success! The team came fully prepared to commit themselves as they had done previously; alas, this was not necessary. There were not the same multitudes of the Saturday event, but the team still did a sterling job of informing and entertaining any visitors. The number of people visiting the site did amplify in the early afternoon as the clouds began to fade slightly and glimpses of the prior day’s warmth began to be seen. Following this the crowds swiftly headed to the amphitheatre for more gladiatorial bouts and so by late afternoon it was clear the day, at least for us, was over.
I would like to thank all the visitors to the site on both of these days. You made it the success it was and also a tip of the cap to all those following the blog online. Also a large Thank You to the organisers and supervisors from CWAC HET: Gary, Jane and Julie. And last, but by no means least, I would personally like to thank all of the volunteers who did a tremendous job on both days. It was a pleasure to work alongside you (except Mike). I believe this was a marvellous way to finish off our four weeks of excavation, and in the words of the great Terry Tibbs: 'Thank you, good night, much love.'
p.s Only kidding Mike... but not really.
The excavation has officially finished, but there was still work to be done. The Chestival extravaganza engrossed the city with one of the main focal points being the hoards of re-enactors that filled Grosvenor Park to the brim. The Romans and the Celts had come to town, (although I use those terms loosely) bringing with them a feeling of wonderment that captivated all visitors. As part of the recreated Roman military camp that occupied the park, with tents ranging from those of surgeons to that of a blacksmith, our excavation featured prominently in activities available to visitors. Much like the open day, a plethora of information was made available to the public, including site tours, ‘Create a tile’, the wondrous Mini Dig and the now world famous 'Dumpy Level Arcade' featuring alongside the finds tables, colouring sections and information point.
The first day began as it ended, drenched in blistering sunshine. The day was glorious, and sure enough the crowds began to flock into the park even as the set-up was still taking place. With the furious heat of the day raining down, it was a test of our strong-willed team of hardy volunteers to appease the crowds and ignite their own interests in archaeology. All members of the archaeology team taking part were busy from the outset with scarcely any time to catch our breath as the curious visitors inquired into our activities of the past four weeks. Even after enjoying various beverages the previous evening as a celebration of the completion of our excavation, the team stood strong and once again appeased the masses.
The most popular of the activities once again proved to be the Mini Dig enthralling (almost) all participants; whereas the Dumpy Level arcade seemed to have suffered a fall from grace as many visitors shunned its delights in favour of the Mini Dig. As the day began to wind down, due to most visitors choosing to attended the gladiatorial battles taking place in the amphitheatre in the afternoon, the volunteers had time to ponder the day’s events and give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back. The expectation of 10,000 visitors to the park could very well have been met - it was a triumphant success.
The following day was predicted “to be a different animal”, and that it was. The day began grey and glum with showers. This seemed to create a different atmosphere in the camp - it had nothing to do with the fact that several of the voluntary group had enjoyed another evening, night and early morning of pleasant revelry following the first days success! The team came fully prepared to commit themselves as they had done previously; alas, this was not necessary. There were not the same multitudes of the Saturday event, but the team still did a sterling job of informing and entertaining any visitors. The number of people visiting the site did amplify in the early afternoon as the clouds began to fade slightly and glimpses of the prior day’s warmth began to be seen. Following this the crowds swiftly headed to the amphitheatre for more gladiatorial bouts and so by late afternoon it was clear the day, at least for us, was over.
I would like to thank all the visitors to the site on both of these days. You made it the success it was and also a tip of the cap to all those following the blog online. Also a large Thank You to the organisers and supervisors from CWAC HET: Gary, Jane and Julie. And last, but by no means least, I would personally like to thank all of the volunteers who did a tremendous job on both days. It was a pleasure to work alongside you (except Mike). I believe this was a marvellous way to finish off our four weeks of excavation, and in the words of the great Terry Tibbs: 'Thank you, good night, much love.'
p.s Only kidding Mike... but not really.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
The Big Roman Festival in Chester
Hello followers - if you are local or can get to Chester, make sure you head down to Grosvenor Park this weekend. The Roman Festival (part of the series of events known as 'Chestival' this summer) is taking place on both Saturday and Sunday. From viewing yesterday's setting up, it looks like it will be amazing. There was a reconstructed (polystyrene) temple, busloads of Roman soldiers and even a beer tent
(somehow they knew to place this right next to the archaeologists and the trench...).
Check out the details at:
http://www.chesterfestivals.co.uk/site/festivals/roman-weekend-4th-5th-june-2011-p129131
Some of the students are helping out in the trench this weekend and there are lots of activities on offer for all ages.
We hope some of you come along - make sure you tell us if you have been looking at the blog!
-Meggen
(somehow they knew to place this right next to the archaeologists and the trench...).
Check out the details at:
http://www.chesterfestivals.co.uk/site/festivals/roman-weekend-4th-5th-june-2011-p129131
Some of the students are helping out in the trench this weekend and there are lots of activities on offer for all ages.
We hope some of you come along - make sure you tell us if you have been looking at the blog!
-Meggen
The Final Day!
Shameem gives us a final look into the life of the diggers -
I'm typing out this entry from the comfort of a wheelbarrow!
It's been a very easy going day since it's the last day of the dig. We've been busy cleaning up the site to prep it for photography, and we've been setting up some tables and gazebos for the Roman Festival at the park over the weekend.
During our morning break, a few of us indulged in a well deserved ice cream since the intense 24 degree sun was draining us.
Apart from all this work, there was a bit of sunbathing thrown in for some of the girls (cough...me).
It's been a fantastic four weeks, and I'm sure we've all learnt a lot during our time here. Now to get stuck in with our last piece of work before the summer holidays!
...
Sat in this wheelbarrow, I can't help but eagerly await our after-dig drunk, since at the moment, I have luke-warm water. I'm dying for an ice-cold Coke....
Friday, 3 June 2011
The Mysterious Inscribed Glass
Julie has provided us with a fantastic picture (taken by Cheryl) of the inscribed piece of glass found a few days ago. We still have lots of research to do on it, but thought our followers would like to see it!
-Meggen
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Tidying up the loose ends..
Jenine's story of the *almost* last day...
The end of the excavation is approaching. So, today it was less severe excavation and more trowelling and recording. To begin the day we started by recording the location of the site so that the group next year will know where to excavate. To do this a surveying instrument called a total station, which looked similar to a dumpy level as it has a tripod to hold the device, was used. The total station electronically records and measures the northings, eastings and heights of allocated points around the corners of the trench and the park by using a laser that is transmitted from the total station.
Later, trowelling continued to reveal more of the archaeology so that more detailed planning could take place.
The afternoon was spent in the finds room, which consisted of marking the finds using the foundation pens and bagging them. Double checking what exactly you have found is very important as some materials can look very similar - mortar and plaster, for example. Metal is treated differently from the other material in the bagging process as holes need to be pierced for the air to circulate so the decomposition rate isn’t increased.
Countdown!
Emily updates us on the penultimate day...
Today was the second to last day of the dig. I can't believe how fast these last weeks have gone by! The trench has revealed a number of features and offered a few surprises during the excavation. We clearly encountered a demolished building and came across a number of features related to it, most significantly the hearth area and the curious slab-stone ditch, but still cannot tell the exact function of it. The layers also produced a number of interesting finds and everyone had their share of interesting items; although, some seemed to have had more luck than others! It is a shame that we have to finish tomorrow and can't go down deeper to the Roman Road, which is believed to be present underneath our building.
But the most important thing is how we all developed and learned. Although we are already in second year and have studied archaeological practice thoroughly, the practice we had these past weeks has taught us more than books can. There are always problems and aspects encountered one would never expect from theory alone. The dig also improved the group dynamic and everyone seemed to get to know each other better. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience!
So today we spent the day giving the site a "beauty makeover" (trowelling the surface, tidying up...), to prepare it for professional photography and the Roman Festival this weekend (and for it being backfilled!)
Post Scriptum: Still no sight of the 10,000 pounds!
[Ed. - We always get asked by passers-by if we've found their lost money...honest, we haven't found a thing!]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
