Season Two: Day Five

Well, we've got to the end of the first week. The weather was far kinder today, even a bit of proper sun in the afternoon. In Trench A, we've ceased cleaning and are now focussing on excavating features. We're tackling some of the gullies and other features that cut into the intra-vallum roadway in an attempt to clarify their sequence. Meanwhile, we're also looking at the area to the west of the main barrack, we never really addressed properly last year. After a good titivate over the last couple of days we'll be ready to plan it next week. In the corner curret we also think we've identified the trench dug by Kenneth Steer in the 1930s and we've begun to re-excavate it. This will allow us to see some interesting stratigraphy in section. In Trench B we have made the decision not to take the entire area down at the same level; instead we are focussing on a number of sub-areas within it. This is partly to enable us to get a sense of stratigraphy as we crack on into the key features quickly and avoids having to spend excessive amounts of time cleaning. It will also give the students a chance to experience all aspects of excavation in their three weeks with us. The relationship of some of the structures to the roadway is becoming clearer now. It is clear that the Roman street frontage is further towards Dere Street than I thought earlier on in the week, and in places the later layers of the road run over the top of the Roman walls. We've got at least one nicely preserved stone walled strip building runnning back from Dere Street with evidence for a hearth inside it and another possible hearth or industrial oven next to it. Excitingly, we recovered a blob of molten white glass from this structure today- are we going to find evidence for Roman glass working?

Season Two: Day Four

Better weather today- no rain, but a stiff wind particularly in the morning (at least it will help people to dry out). On Trench A we have been doing more cleaning, but also starting to excavate features identified last years. This includes tackling one of the large scoops within the main barrack block, as well as trying to better understand some of the cut gullies that cross the cobbled area. Interestingly the layer of stones that looked like it was part of the fort defences is now more compllicated. Rather than running the entire length of the northern edge of the trench it is smaller and has a fragment of north-south wall at the east end; its looking more like a feature built into the rampart than an integral part of the defence.

In Trench B we've been cleaning back; we've marked out a series of sub-areas which we are focusing on, including one of the structures and parts of the road surface. The students did great work cleaning these up and hopefully planning should start tomorrow. Plenty of good finds- more coins, bangles (glass and jet/shale) and a lovely piece of 4th century Crambeck Ware mortaria with a painted decoration.

Season Two: Day Three

Another rainy day- generally ok in the morning, but it set in heavy in mid-afternoon. Nonetheless, the students showed real application in working through most of the bad weather. The site is certainly looking better for some moisture, and the combination of dampness and a good clean is really bringing up the features quite nicely. No major development- cleaning continued apace (as did the discovery of small finds). The surface of Dere Street in Trench B is being given a good going over and the top layers are coming up very nicely. Elsewhere the extent of walls are becoming clearer, although worryingly more cobbles are appearing...On Trench A more is being taken off the northern edge of the trench, where stones associated with the rampart are becoming very clear. Elsewhere, we are going back in cleaning areas exposed last year to get a better insight on what needs to be done in the weeks ahead.

Season Two: Day Two

A bit wetter today, which actually helped with the cleaning. The students did a stirling job working through the County Durham drizzle. In Trench A there was more cleaning back of the northern side of the area. Although there is still more to take off, real progress is being made. The clay floor of the probable turret is looking really nice- a rare opportunity to actually have the floor level of a feature like this. As we reach the northern edge of the trench we now also appear to be reaching a stoney strip which is presumably part of the rampart and wall.

In Trench B, we completed the first complete clean and got ready for some photographs. Small finds include a nice jet(?) bead, a glass gaming counter and a trumpet brooch, as well as several coins. It appears as if we have two zones of building: some probable post-pads and some relatively light walls which seem to intrude into the road surface (which is probably medieval/post-medieval in date), whilst further north there appear to be a number of features, including one structure and a probable oven which may comprise the Roman street frontage. Of course, this may all turn out to be incorrect, time will tell.

Season Two: Day One

First day on site for all the Durham first year students, and lots to do. One groups were set to cleaning up last year's trench- removing the tarps (what was left of them), doing a little light weeding and then cracking straight on with working back the northern section of the trench, which saw the least cleaning last year. Meanwhile, on Trench B, after the joys of tidying up the sections, the main focus was also on cleaning back (hoeing and troweling) to begin the process of defining the many features that could be easily seen after the topsoil strip. Its clear that there are lots of stretches of wall appearing, though its not clear if any entire structures are emerging yet. It appears that there may be a number of structures partly overlapping Dere Street. This should not be a surprise. We had a surprise visit from Iain Ferris who was one of excavators of the Commander's House in the centre of the fort. He confirmed that when they were excavating a stretch of Dere Street they found medieval and post-medieval structures intruding onto the roadway. Whilst some of the structures in Trench B may be of later date, it is pretty certain that many of the other built features are certainly of Roman date. Pleasingly, there are still no signs of the layers of rubble and cobble that covered much of Trench A (so far).

New Binchester website

I've now set up a new website for the Binchester project. It contains information about the site, background about the research project and those involved in it. You can also find out about forthcoming events, details about how to visit the site, where to go to get involved in the excavation. You can also find links to other information about Binchester in the internet, including the full version of the 2007 Time Team documentary about the site. Let me know what you think.

First thoughts

The topsoil is now virtually complete- there was only a couple more metres to go when I left site at lunchtime. Obviously, there is still a lot of cleaning to be done, but its clear that there are a number of significant features emerging. The thing that immediately struck me was the apparent lack of layers of cobbles/stones that characterised the interior of the fort in Trench A. It does seem that we are coming down straight onto late Roman features, with less evidence for sub-/post-Roman activity. However, this may all change once we've given it a good clean. More generally, the line of Dere Street is clearly visible and a number of stretches of stone wall-lines are already apparent (as was expected). One of the first jobs for the students next week will be to give this area a thorough clean to let us begin to define the area in more detail.