Sat 4th

Our Jigsaw Training Dig has officially started! Today saw a select group of participants learning how to watch machines excavate the trenches for our dig. Our initial plan was to open three trenches, targetted over anomolies on the geophysical survey. Unfortunately our first trench didn't turn out as expected! We were hoping to cross two ditches possibly forming some sort of enclosure, but instead uncovered some relatively modern burning and building debris, some redeposited natural, and a couple of possible features.

After that we moved on to our next trench nearby, which found the ditch highlighted on the geophysics spot on! Pleased with this success, we decided to move up the field to a extend a small trench previously dug by the History Group, which uncovered a ditch containing vast quantities of Medieval pottery and bone. We now have a large ditch exposed here, plus possibly several other features.

We then moved to our third trench area, and dug two small trenches where we suspect an original manorial building may have stood. We've uncovered a possible beam slot for a building, and another big ditch! I think this dig may be the dig of the big ditches...

Plan for tomorrow is to hoe down several trenches, start pre-ex planning features, and excavating them. Twelve people booked tomorrow, then many more in the weeks to come. It's all rather exciting!