Vindolanda Day Nine

A somewhat abbreviated report today.  Although the anaerobic layers of ditch fill were reached today they proved to be largely empty.  This is a bit disappointing, you see deep black organic fill you dream big...

But looks can be deceiving.  Yes, there were twigs, bits of bark and a thin layers of what might be straw.  But mostly this was black, muddy sand.  Or sandy mud, its hard to say.  One shoe did come out of it.  But this seems less an intentional deposit and more like somebody stepped in some black muck and had his shoe pull off in it.  We move to the right in this picture tomorrow.  Last Stand for clever finds for this digging session.

In general fort ditches are hit and miss.  You might get a wagon load of perfectly preserved stuff.  You might get muddy sand.  Excavating structures tends to also be hit and miss but provides more personal artifacts that I find more compelling.

Beautiful weather again.  The walk to "work" is grand.  I noticed this on the way.

We keep meaning to have a pub round table discussion as to whose politics are weirder these days.  Probably it would end in a draw.

Last day of digging tomorrow, fingers crossed.
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Addendum.  The cool little green beetles we find on site do not actually appear to be preserved from Roman times.  They must climb into the trenches and expire there.  One was crawling about today looking quite fit.  Oh, I suppose they could be like those ancient scarab beetles you see in all of the Mummy movies, but they seem so whimsical and harmless.