Day 12

Ever since our volunteer, Si, found the stones in trench 7 a few days ago, I have been prowling the site like an expectant father, wondering if ‘the something’ was a something, or if it was something else!!! Well today, I am pleased to announce to you all that “IT’S A WALL!”

Well, at the moment, we think it’s a wall. More work needs to be done on it to reveal its secrets but the archaeologists did concede that it looks like a wall. However, it could still revert back to being ‘a something!’ once we can see more of it, but at the moment it is ‘A WALL!”

Harthill volunteers Julie and Tim were working alongside WA archaeologist, Justina in trench 7 when Tim uncovered a large piece of iron-slag in it. It is a sizeable piece and different from the other pieces of slag that we have found in some of the other trenches which were nugget-sized.

Trench 5, christened our ’Neapolitan’ trench by Harthill volunteer, Sarah the other day, was back-filled by the WA team.

It is remarkable to watch the WA team in action day after day. Everything is done with a smile on their faces and they don’t seem to mind digging holes and then filling them in again. They are a team in every sense of the word, and the team spirit and bond that runs through them all is a close one. I did say to them today, that they are the most educated bunch of navvies I have ever worked with and they are without doubt a fabulous bunch of people.

Sadly, Dora, who is an inspirational archaeologist from Hungary and who has been with us from day one will not be with us for our final week. It was sad saying goodbye to her tonight. She told me that she had wanted to be an archaeologist since the age of 11 and it is her passion and you can clearly see that. She is such a small slender woman but OMG! she can’t half shift some soil. She would put an Irish navvie to shame.

Today we had 6 Harthill volunteers on site and two visitors from Wales village. Hannah, the WA Supervisor lives in Wales and her dad and brother popped up to have a look around the site. Hannah, walks to the dig every day and walks home again afterwards. I have offered her a lift home or a lift to the end of the road, but she insists that the exercise will do her good - because digging holes isn’t hard enough!! :-)

On our original site we only have 3 trenches still open. Our bank & ditch trench which they think was probably a Fox-Hole dug by the local Home Guard during WW2 and a trench next to it to see if the ditch continued which it doesn’t, and trench 7.

At the other side of our site the WA archaeologists, Hans and Nick have mapped out an area over some lumps and bumps that we think look interesting. Everyone, with the exception of Justina in trench 7 moved camp to the new site to clear the undergrowth and prepare the ground for Monday.

Tomorrow, (Saturday) and Sunday the site will be open from 9am until 4pm weather permitting. Mili the WA Manager who is in overall charge of the dig will be on site to show people around and talk to any visitors who are interested in looking around. Liz who is another member of the WA team will also be on site with her microscope to show people some of the soil samples that have been taken. We will also have some members of the Harthill volunteers on site too.

Please pop down to Cuthbright Wood over the weekend if you can. The grass verge outside the wood entrance on Thorpe Road has partially been cut, so you could park on the grass verge if you want to save having to walk from the village, however, you do so at your own risk.

If you can, please come and look at our wall, whilst it’s a wall and before it turns back into being a something! :-)