Jess, Sophie and Victoria report on a scorching day 5 full of levelling and finds washing…

Jess...

Today’s day on site started with murmurings of “Have you seen how hot it’s going to be?!” and “Do you have any suncream?” as we all anticipated another scorching day in the sun; we soon settled though and got stuck in for another day in Grosvenor Park.

Team A revisited yesterday’s fresh section and cleaned the area to reveal a clay-like surface which we were itching to dig into and discover what lies beneath. The other groups persevered through the increasing heat and barrow after barrow was delivered to the spoil mountain. The rest of the morning was spent in the shade for team A, which was a little light relief, as we topped up our level (and maths!) reading skills. Using the base level just outside of the park, the readings were taken to note the height of the freshly cut trench. The remainder of the day was spent cleaning finds, but I’ll let Sophie talk to you about that excitement! Overall another fab day on site, I can’t wait to carry on!

Using the dumpy level to record relative levels (height above sea level) across the site

Sophie...

Another glorious day greeted us in Grosvenor Park for day 5 of our dig. Following our morning of level readings it was team A's turn to clean some of our dirt ridden finds. Abbi was our queen of intricately designed clay pipes with patterns ranging from a Diamond to a Phoenix (but have been described by most as the Liver birds).



Intricate designs on clay pipes revealed by washing

 

However, the best part of the day by far for me was when I cleaned away the dirt on a rather small find, to discover a piece of Samian ware pottery beneath. FINALLY, after days of searching through endless buckets of mud in the scorching heat, I had managed to get my hands on some Samian ware. It may be tiny but the best things come in small packages.

Here's to day 6 and some more exciting finds.

Sophie's fragment of Samian ware

Victoria...

Today brought another full day of sun to Grosvenor Park. The morning was spent clearing the loose soil to reveal more of the brick and plaster demolition layer. Finds today included lead musket shots, animal bone, pottery and once again a lot of clay pipe! Most of the afternoon involved finding and digging down to find a drainage ditch laid down in the Victorian period. We were also able to have a go at practising level reading before getting right back into trowelling. All in all a very steady and productive day, looking forward to seeing what comes up tomorrow.

The finds keep coming!