July 2004 Diary

Barcombe Roman Villa 2004 - July Diary

18th July - 2004

This friday the last of the UCL students finished their weeks of excavation experience, having made good progress in the southern part of the site where most of Building 3 is now exposed. Next week sees the start of the first volunteer week, whilst public training courses also continue.

More of the earlier building below Building 3 and extending out of the west side of the trench, has now been exposed (see pictures). It seems to comprise a raft of mortar and flints, with perhaps an apsidal east end. Although a possible wall can be seen along its northern side, at present there is no evidence for a matching wall on the south edge. A shallow rectangular pit a little further south has been partly excavated, and on its northern edge a deeper pit with a large deposit of burnt clay, some having wattle impresions has been found.

This weekend we have seen disruption by heavy thunderstorms and rain which has meant that we have not been able to carry out much further work.

The early building discovered below Building 3 partly excavated. An interesting fragment of tegula tile.

Pictures:

1.    The early building discovered below Building 3 partly excavated.
2:    An interesting fragment of tegula tile.
3:    Supervisor Clive discusses the excavation of a newly discovered pit.
4:    Drawing a section.

14th July - 2004

Work over the last week has been interrupted occasionally by rain, but some progress has been made on the pits in the north east part of the site. All of these so far excavated have produced Saxon pottery, and this weekend, we recovered our first Saxon loom weight. Although to confuse matters one of the pits also produced a (residual) Early Neolithic Leaf-shaped arrowhead.

Progress has also been made on the new features exposed at the south end of the site. A large rectangular raft of mortar and flints is being excavated, and may be connected with the early flint wall foundations that extend under the west edge of the trench. A smaller rectangular area of dumped material to the south of this has produced quantities of burnt clay at the point where a linear feature connects the two. A further linear feature on the east side of the building is producing large numbers of tile fragments, pottery and animal bone.

Pictures:

1:    Excavating the Saxon pits.
2:    Early Neolithic leaf-shaped arrowhead.
3:    Saxon loom weight.

5th July - 2004

The last few days have seen more cleaning up at the south end, where we can now see most of the east and west walls of Building 3. There are two short lengths of robbed-out wall within this area that could be evidence for a further building!

At the north end of the site the intercutting pits adjacent to the main villa are slowly giving up their secrets, and I think I now can interpret the sequence of events here - more on this later. One of the Saxon pits has produced the disarticulated remains of an adult cow - Ritual?"

Two stamped bases of Samian vessels. The disarticulated cow burial.
Pictures:

Two stamped bases of Samian vessels.
The disarticulated cow burial.

1st July - 2004.

The excavations are continuing at a rapid pace now. UCL students supervised by Clive Meaton are working on part of the new extension where the robbed out west wall of Building 3 is almost completely exposed now. A large rectangular feature that is cut by this wall has been revealed. It appears to be covered by a dump of demolition rubble which is currently being excavated. To the west of this and outside the building are a number of other features, that also may be earlier than Building 3.

At the north end of the site the banana-shaped feature continues to produce Saxon pottery from its numerous pit features, whilst around this feature a number of pits, postholes and gullies have been excavated, all of which also appear to be Saxon.

In the centre of the site further work is being carried out on Building 3 where a possible post setting has been sectioned, whilst a small rectangular feature (possibly also a post setting) is currently being excavated. These features are crucial to our understanding of Building 3 and its interpretation as an aisled building.

Star finds this week include a nice bone pin fragment, and a preforated circular piece of pottery, possibly used as a spindle whorl.

Alongside the excavation work the public training courses have now started, with an excavation techniques course and survey course running this week. There are still some places left on the later courses.

Guided tours of the site are available at weekends only. They start at the entrance to the site at 10am, 11am, 12am, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. For groups of more than 12 please contact MSFAT in advance to make arrangements.

- Chris Butler (01-July-2004)