Day 1 CAER 2015: So here we are...

So here we are… Having never been on archaeological dig before, the first day of excavation had been met with heavy scepticism on my part with thoughts of sitting in a puddle of muddy water precariously removing earth in an attempt to reveal features that I wouldn’t even recognise as features.

Come the end of the day although tired and a little sunburnt and in no way am I complaining about the enigma that is the English sunshine, I was on the whole presently surprised.

The mental images created prior to the dig of kneeling in a trench painstakingly scraping the surface with my trusty trowel had soon disappeared with the arrival of Mr Sunshine and the news that the use of a trowel would be limited. Instead, shovels and mattocks were on the agenda as the majority of the work was removing backfill to reveal the tarpaulin from the previous year’s dig. So alas, no ground breaking discoveries yet. Although a number of small finds had been found in the backfill, with 18^th century clay pipes and slipware and a possible piece of amphora, (though I think we’re clutching at straws here).

Cameron had refrained from being the dictator that we had discovered on Halkyn the previous year and took up mattock duty while Ross, well Ross was just being Ross. I felt sorry for Selina having to put up with our somewhat uninspiring conversation topics of which Cameron’s questionable clothing attire remains prominent. Breaks had been generous with Simon and Co. likely taking pity on our cluelessness so cornettos in the sun were gracefully enjoyed at lunch. 

Do I feel like an archaeologist, sort of? Am I an archaeologist, how much does a fish need a bicycle? Being the first day we still have another four weeks of excavation which I am looking forward to, rain and all.

Dan