Welcome to the excavation blog for summer 2023. This year we are digging in the paddock behind the Caistor Hall Hotel where we investigated some test pits in 2020.
The blog is updated at the top so new readers are advised to start at the bottom and work up.
And so it begins . . .
. . . And so it ends
Another summer dig comes to an end. A thoroughly enjoyable and successful experience for all concerned.
Many thanks to those who took part and to those who helped make it all happen – too many to list here.
Tuesday 29th August
Liam and the digger backfill the trenches after the open features have been protected.
The container and the toilets are collected and the meadow reverts to nature again – for now.
Monday 28th August
The marquee is dismantled, tools moved to the hotel laundry store and the rest is transported back to the barn via the Flying Scotsman.
Sunday 27th August
Is a well deserved day off.
Saturday 26th August
Excavating the bottom of the last pits, completing the the recording and packing everything for removal.
Will bottoms out a pit in trench 9.
Bottom of the large pit in trench 9 which turns out to be part of a kiln with a stoke hole leading underneath the baulk.
The pit was filled with kiln furniture and pottery.
It’s also very dirty!
Recording is well underway
And the happy seiving continues.
Giles records the large pit in trench 10.
The initial thinking is that this may represent a settlement of an early Roman period Iceni local chief with round wooden structures and pits and trenches filled with iron age and roman artefacts – including some high status items
Trench 10 is finally wrapped and ready to go.
A last special find from the bottom of a pit in Trench 9 is this fascinating pinched neck flagon – dated AD200 to AD400
A food stare out at lunchtime fails (for Dug) . . .
. . . and attention moves on.
Friday 25th August
The last day of digging.
Interest in Trench 10 as the last pits are investigated.
A cornucopia of finds.
The big Trench 9 pit is being emptied producing yet more kiln lining and kiln plates and masses of local grey pottery.
Tim unearths an iron ring
Star finds today have included . . .
. . . this wonderful piece of twisted Roman glass . . .
. . . a stunning brooch complete with pin . . .
. . . a high status spindle whorl made from polished and decorated bone . .
. . . a pottery face, possibly from a funereal vessel . . .
. . . and some distinctive decorated Iron Age pottery.
Today’s Marquee team sorts yesterday’s finds shortly before Chris is interviewed for ITV’s About Anglia
The visitor centre and finds tents are dismantled.
Thursday 25th August
The last public tour today – these have been a great success – all sold out and the donations and purchases from the visitor centre all helping funds.
We also had other visitor groups to show round.
A few images from today . . .
The features in Trench 10 become clearer – pits and postholes.
Whilst over in Trench 9 Rob and Colin proudly admire their fine work
Mike regales more enthralled visitors with tales of the iron age and romans, demons and dragons.
More filth from Trench 9.
Smiling amid the filth and chaos in the bulk finds tent.
Wednesday 23rd August
Only 2 days of digging after today so there’s a real focus on getting what information we can from the trenches.
Trench 9 is still doing what Trench 9 does – searching for edges and investigating features
Martin points threateningly at a bucket as a pit full of very dirty kiln lining and pottery is excavated . . .
. . . and the south end is readied for another photograph.
Linda glams up for the camera.
Nat continues Dug’s trench etiquette training.
In Trench 10 the pits and post hole features continue to be excavated with oodles of pottery and bones being unearthed.
No blog photos today to provide evidence but this super, quick sketch from Robert Fairclough, one of our visitors, depicts the trench in full action.
Visitors today have included, as well as our penultimate public open day, members from the Eastern Region of the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) who really enjoyed their visit . . .
. . . as did our visitors from the Restoration Trust who are hoping to return to help out with some post-ex at the barn.
Cake of the day award goes to Sue Harman for her splendid CRP23 celebration cake.
And, finally, a selection of small finds from Ian’s tent of treasures . . .
. . . a pair of early brooches . . .
. . . a curved copper-alloy nail . . .
. . . a handle from a very high status glass vessel . . .
. . . and a copper-alloy ring . . .
. . . and a stamped base of fine pottery.
Tuesday 22nd August
Today we had a group from the local Young Archaeologists Club (YAC) visit the site and help out with the digging and sieving in Trench 10.
Also in Trench 10 the pits have started to be opened and Richard and Poppy have bottomed out this one.
Andy B entertains the crown digging out a “metallic object”. . .
. . . and another slot is opened and the pottery finds still keep coming,
Whilst Lynda and team search below the former cobbled surface.
Star find in Trench 10 today was a copper-alloy (medical) instrument.
It looks more impressive in real life – really.
Up (ish) the hill in Trench 9 the finds keep and keep on coming as the pit type features are investigated.
Nat and Sarah pose proudly aside their patch of dirt and show off a lump of something – don’t ask.
Soil/environmental samples are being taken from the bottom of a large and productive pit . . .
. . . and Rob finds another edge plus another shed load of pottery.
Kelsey gets stuck into the drawing . . .
. . . closely supervised by Geoff . . .
. . . and it’s relentlessly hectic over in the trench office as Ian moves hand to top pocket and back.
Star find in trench 9 today is this really lovely rim of a mortarium bowl with a complete makers’ stamp.
A visitor (genuinely) asked today for another photo of Dug the dig dog on the blog so here’s one from today in one of his quieter moments.
Monday 21st August
The start of week 2 with a target to complete everything by close of Saturday.
Trench 9 continues doing what it’s done all week and at last a pit has emerged – watch this space.
And the deer jawbone has at last been lifted
Trench 10 has a wonderful but complex selection of features all marked out by Giles’ magic trowel.
Richard of York and Poppy of Canterbury get stuck into sectioning a pit.
A large in-situ Iron Age pot is lifted
Any one looking for a new start can always follow up on the advertising inside the toilets – you know you want to . . .
Saturday 19th August
The end of week 1 – lots achieved and lots more still to do.
The team in Trench 9 are still searching for those elusive edges of features.
And Rob takes time out to draw before hacking out another spit.
While the workload for the sievers starts to line up.
Lots of finds are recovered
Including a nice piece of Samian with Hercules
Trench 10 has been lifting a goodly amount of Iron Age finds as a series of pits with a plethora of finds and potential post holes appear.
Will produces the star find of the day.
On the sieves Mick shows off a spectacular jug made entirely of excavated mud.
And, to finish the day, three generations of Pinner are spotted on site at once.
Friday 19th August
Special guest this morning was CRP supporter Lord Dannett who chatted to, and posed for photos with, some of our military veteran members and CRP trustees.
It was quiz night and raffle after work today thanks to Ian for the quiz and Chrissy and Team for the raffle.
We went live on BBC Look East with Mike Liggins presenting a piece from the site and including some clips filed yesterday.
Excellent publicity for CRP and very welcomed,
An assemblage of quizzers and raffle addicts . . .
Chrissy inveigles Mike Liggins to draw a raffle prize. Ian looks smug as if he knows he’s about to win the star prize – a metal detecting probe. Thanks to everyone who donated pries
Liggins presents to the studio live from the site.
The BBC OB van broadcasts to East Anglia and the world.
Oh, and some archaeology from today . . .
Will gets out his magic stick – ET phone home . . .
In Trench 9 the search for well defined features continues.
Rhiane, Rob and Wendy ponder the imponderable.
The team continue to trowel the untrowelable
A deer jawbone lies tantalisingly in the next context . . .
But lots of juicy finds . . .
A lovely bronze bead and a mended piece samian pottery.
Over in Trench 10 the mattocks are out in force revealing a complex series of pits and Ashley removes the cobbles to find . . . not much actually . . .
Friday 18th August
Thursday 17th August
Today we had a visit from TV presenter Mike Liggins filming for a BBC East feature. Mike visited both trenches, interviewed several members and students and had fun serving with Christine and Colin.
Will spellbinds Mike Liggins with a tray of finds and some stories.
Chloe is interviewed.
In Trench 9 work contuse to define the edges of feature and the finds keep coming .
Star find for today is a lovely “black samian” base with a complete maker’s stamp.
Over in Trench 10 the team seem to have hit some evidence of settlement although no structures as yet. Finds have included large sherds of an amphora and large bones.
And planning recording has begun with Giles and Chloe.
And photography with Alice.
Also recovered today was a neolithic flint tool and a turned rim of a fine Roman glass vessel
Wednesday 16th August
Today we hosted the first of our daily public visitor sessions (book via Eventbrite please) which was very well attended.
The “visitors centre is now prepared and Chrissy and Margaret (and Dug) lie ready to ambush visitors with irresistible merchandise.
Mike and Giles explain pretty much everything to a group of visitors.
And Ian explains the rest to another group and a large dog.
Education today is a contexts and stratigraphy workshop for our students held in Giles’ tent.
An abundance of cakes and home made biscuits arrive as usual. Grateful thanks to the ladies (and, yes, it is always ladies) who bake and to Margaret who also funds the marquee consumables from funds generated by selling her knitted figures during the year.
In the trenches work continues apace.
Trench 9 is now hitting an occupation layer with more intact finds.
Linda applies the killer spray, under Giles’ supervision, ready for photos.
And Trench 9 find of the day is a lovely Iron Age pennanular brooch.
Over in Trench 10 the digging is hitting some softer, darker soil and likely occupations layers. Here the pottery sherds are larger and sharper and the CBM (building material) fragments are much bigger than before.
A cobbley area is being cleaned up and looks like it might be a road or yard surface – definitely not natural.
Ian examines what might be a silver ring – or a bit of more modern machinery.
Dug takes digging matters into his own paws.
Whilst back in the marquee Bill sorts though the last of yesterday’s finds.
Tuesday 14th August
The blog today starts with an overhead of the site taken by Geoff Lunn’s drone (thanks Geoff) .
The hotel is on the right edge with the wedding marquee to its left by the lawn. Trench 10 is at the bottom of the field snd Trench 9 is in the top half of the field. The dig HQ is in the middle with the camping to the left.
The Roman Town can be seen at the top of the photo.
Trench 9 today continued to drop down through the subsoil towards the archaeology . . .
. . . with a warm welcome back to Dr Nat Harlow
And a heartening scene of marital bliss with Mr & Mrs Bylett trowelling together in harmony.
There’s been yet more dirt to process over in Trench 10 with mattocking and trowelling and sieving.
The flags and pins hint at exciting finds just waiting to be uncovered.
Which Giles tries to capture on film before the mattocks go back in with a vengeance tomorrow morning.
Finds today have included a tessera (not quite a whole floor but it’s a start) and some nice prehistoric flint scrapers
The toilets have finally returned on site and passed muster – so so convenient for Giles’ tent
The public tours start tomorrow and the “visitors centre” is being readied to withstand the deluge.
Monday 14th August
Day 3 of digging and it’s been a festival of mattocking and sieving once again although finds are still being lifted and the archaeology is now looking closer.
Some action photos from Trench 9 . . .
Rob teaches Dug some trench etiquette
Frantic action in the trench 9 office . . .
. . . and find of the day – from one of the trench 9 sieves – a lovely bronze fingernail cleaner.
Whilst over in Trench 10 it’s more of the same – all hands to the sieves.
Giles and Andy B examine a potential round flat metallic find . . .
And the toilets are finally moved to the required location only to be rejected by the redoutable Chrissy for “technical reasons” – now due to return fully functional tomorrow.
There’s all to play for now . . .
Sunday 13th August
Day 2 of actual digging and its more of the same – troweling and mattocking and sieving – looking for the first archaeological features.
Serious sieving in trench 9 . . .
Examining the fired clay finds – probably indicators of industrial activity which is one of the things we are looking for in this area.
In trench 10 there is more diligent sieving underway . . .
Whilst Andy B and Mick S demonstrate trowelling in tandem with Graeme acting as bucket monkey . . .
. . . and another Andy B offers some guidance to Poppy
When he’s not winding Dug into a frenzy before releasing him onto some innocent volunteers with exposed packed lunches
Saturday 12th August
Day 1 of actual digging is upon us with a full complement of volunteers and all seems to be working well – at break time at least.
Work in both trenches is mostly cleaning down after the digger opened them up yesterday – lots of trowelling and sieving.
In Trench 9 . . .
And in Trench 10 . . . more troweling and sieving
Giles and Richard of York pore over the paperwork.
Graeme looks happier than he should be with some scrappy, grubby finds.
Friday 11th August
A great turn out from our members to complete the set=up today.
The digger arrives and starts to open the trenches. Thanks to Liam who has offered to do the work for us free of charge – great job Liam.
Trench 10 is opened with a swarm of CRP metal detectors – over 20 Roman small finds from opening this trench.
Trench 9 is also opened and detected
The site set-up is completed thanks to Chrissy and team and is looking fabulous.
The toilets have been discovered – in the container compound on the other side of the hotel – we’re now waiting for them to be moved on site as planned.
Thursday 10th August
Today we delivered all of the tools from the hotel store to site plus the marquee, tents and all of the excavation equipment from the barn.
Grateful thanks to everyone who turned up early this morning to help on what turned out to be 30+C weather.
Unloading the deliveries from the Flying Scotsman
Erecting the main marquee was a doddle – apart from the inevitable missing parts which necessitated a trip back to the barn.
And marking out the trenches starting with the a hug for Doctor Dave (Bescoby) plus the use of metal detectors to find the base points from 2020.
Andy B hails the genius that is Giles
Dug is keen to take part in the measuring out.
Tomorrow we erect and kit out the other tents, fill the water bowser c/o our friends at High Ash Farm (thanks Daniel), get the on site toilets delivered … and, of course, open the trenches with the digger.
Stay tuned . . .
Wednesday 9th August
The barn is packed and ready to go – a pround looking pair of ladies admire their work
The tools container is delivered – supervised by new dig dog Dug
CRP23 Digblog 