Binchester 2010: it begins...

Well, we've begun again! Today we commenced the topsoil strip for our new trench (Trench B) sited in the vicus. This is going to provide a valuable opportunity to get stuck into the important archaeology of the civillian settlement that surrounds the fort. The area being opened up is a section to the north of Dere Street, which will allow us to examine an area of street frontage and the properties running off it. Inevitably the weather was awful, but Jamie is busy supervising the digger we use to take off the topsoil, whilst the spoil is being scanned by metal dectorists to ensure we don't lose anything important from the ploughzone. As well as workig in this new area, we'll also be returning to last year's trench (Trench A) to continue the work on the late Roman barrack. Keep watching!