Day Two: 'top' soil

Today we concentrated on removing the layer of topsoil below the turf line. This varied in thickness across the site, but as it was baked solid it seemed to be like chiselling toffee.

Rob is clearly impressed with trowelling topsoil

However, despite the baked desert conditions, some features are already visible, and we finished cleaning the fireplace feature found yesterday. Although we can't tell the full extend of the building it relates to, it's nice to know it wasn't just plough soil being dug today.

The fireplace

Dom the 'Hungarian Hurricane' whipping off that dirt

Today we had a visit from Charlie who's been working at our 'sister site' at Sheffield Manor. As well as wanting to find out what archaeology actually looks like, he wanted to show off his beard that has apparently been the talk of the town at the other site. The days must fly by there.

Sandy is clearly overwhelmed

Although we're only just in the very upper layers there have been no shortage of finds, ranging from the late medieval to the rather too modern. Beating the 15th century glass Krautstrunk fragment (a German drinking glass) and the medieval moulded window tracery, the popular vote lead to Jude's 16th century Cistercian ware drinking cup being voted 'find of the day'.

There's no accounting for taste