Binchester Day 2

Another busy day! We finished our initial cleaning back of the main trench. This allowed us to begin to explore the site in more detail. In the south-east corner, where the possible late interval tower is located, work began on gently trying to define the edge of the large mound of rubble. Elsewhere on site we are taking a large section across one of the main structures. Having clearly defined the stonework of the walls, we are now cleaning back in shallow spits. We have identified a number of different surfaces, one made of large flat stones and another of smaller cobbles; there are also other possible patches and layers overlying these surfaces. We still have much work ahead in resolving the stratigraphic relationship of these late features. The site is already rich in finds, with more pot and glass being recovered; as well as coins and many ‘fe obj’. In addition to the excavation on the site, we began work on the environs survey this morning. The students set up a simple 25m grid and began the slow task of digging and sieving the contents of the shovel pits, which we are going to use to assess the contents of the topsoil around the site. The immediate landscape is primarily pasture meaning that we cannot use fieldwalking to explore the site’s context.