Monday, May 6, 2019

Military Archaeology - Full Circle

Revetments circa 150 AD.  Turf blocks used to form a rampart. Vindolanda, on the Hadrianic frontier of northern Britannia.


Similar construction using sandbags.  Circa 1916. Wychaete Belgium.



At the moment the site is in a transitional state.  Some projects from last week are being tidied up, some big new areas are being prepped for a major downward effort in the days ahead.  Here is where we are digging, remarkably it has everything on display.  In the far area are deep areas of 1st century AD deposits.  In the foreground, some areas being de-turfed where modern ball point pens and 1970's era beer can tabs are being unearthed.


My current assignment is sort of in between.  It is the courtyard of a 17th century farmhouse that was on the site later.  It has to be excavated and recorded before deeper work can be done.  


Yes, it is just clearing up an area of pounded together rock but I remind myself that a site from the 1600's would be older than almost anything in America outside of St. Augustine and Jamestown.

More of the same tomorrow, dire weather predicted Wednesday, but interesting days and digs beyond that.

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