Sun and good spirits across the site on the last day of the session. Report on Day 10 and on various ancillary matters will have to wait a few days.
Shower-Curry-Pints-Sleep-Auto-Plane-Plane-Shuttle-Car that hopefully starts-Bed......
Oh, and I'll try to explain this guy.
Rain shortened day. This will happen in England. Annoyingly after the day was "called" the skies cleared and it was rather nice. Sigh.
I started the day back in the Centurion's apartment. It had been a tedious bit of floor cleaning the day before so I was angling for a reassignment but was sent back for more exposing and polishing of cobbles. Fair enough, I am actually quite good at this.
My karmic reward was a coin. Now, I am not allowed to show any metal finds of consequence. And so I shan't. But I don't see that there is any prohibition against noting that the Romans often put on the reverse of their coins an image of a goddess holding a staff. Sort of like this example which was NOT found on site!
The days are winding down....
Current place I'm excavating is the apartment of the centurion. His room was always the largest and always at the end of the barracks block. Here's an overview. I know, making surfaces look interesting in a photo is a challenge.
Various small things turned up. Not all that exciting.
Lumpy iron thing. Probably a nail, but outside chance of it being a low grade "bow brooch". It goes in the general finds bag with the pottery, glass, bones, and, yes, nails. Let post ex figure it out.
And lacking knowledge I can have a little fun with speculation.
One of the ladies digging the same trench is from New Zealand. In the course of chatting I learned that she had a side gig as an extra in movies filmed over there. Of which there are many.
In one production she wore pointy ears and was part of a fantasy genre. She had signed an NDA and so could not tell me which one. * But it got me to thinking......
Hmm, hobbit sized person. Comes from as close to Middle Earth as you can get on this planet. And I find a mysterious Ring. Knowing that The One Ring can change sizes based on its wearer it is probably for the best that there was a stone wedged in there. Otherwise I supposed I would by now be turning dark and hissing about "MY PRECIOUSSS...."
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* she showed me a photo of herself in full makeup and costume. At which point I asked if I would have to watch the execrable Rings of Power series on Amazon to see her. Thankfully, no.
Wally World.
Spent a good part of the day chasing a wall.
The barracks room we were in was constructed circa 213 AD. On top of a different barracks from 50 years earlier. Presumably nobody on the later construction crew had any idea what was underneath, so things were plotted out nice and neat....and then started sinking into earlier ditches, pits and assorted features. Here's an example of what can happen:
It dates to the Antonine stone fort, so lets say 140's or 150's. It looks like junk at this level but I'm told is actually pretty nice down another foot or so.
What we had to work with was without question an annoying bump in the floor to the guys who lived in this barracks room in later years. And I mean lots of later years. After the 213 build was completed the space was occupied through the end of the Roman era in the early 400's, and to some extent on into the Dark Ages. So, a couple hundred years of slumping floors, patching and replacing floor levels. And through it all the big ridge right down the center of the room was just....there...
You can actually see evidence of this buried wall all up and down the length of the barracks block....
Guess I didn't take any pictures today.
Nice weather, steady progress. But I didn't find anything novel. Just another spear point and I showed you one of those last time. Mostly we were chasing walls and trying to find the perimeters of an oven. Not glamorous stuff.
So instead, a few pictures from my in between weekend.
We did a number of things, some I'll report on presently. Among them was a visit to "Northumberlandia", purportedly the world's largest human figure sculpture.
112 feet tall. 1300 feet long. Yep, she's a big gal.
It's quite a climb up to her, er, features.
Finds and Features.
Everyone at the fence and "out in the world" is always interested in whether I've found some clever artifact. OK, fine, that's part of what we do. I'll get to that in a bit. But almost nobody asks about interesting "features". So bear with me, I'll try to show you something.
The barracks room I have been working in was occupied for about 200 years. That is a ridiculous span of time. Over it there were certainly renovations, mishaps, additions and removals. Doorways come and go. Hearths appear. When floors get uneven piles of debris are added and a new floor level is added. In post Roman times there were Dark Age types building ramshackle structures on top, then later still farmers trying to plow the land for a meager living.
These photos show something unusual...
But if you look in the middle portion of the photo you'll see a red and black trowel handle sticking up. This is sunk into a small more or less round hole in the wall.
Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Oh, OK, you want a "find"? In keeping with my policy of not showing things that might attract "night hawks" looking for a quick nocturnal pay day let me say that this artifact was falling apart when I found it and has zero market value.
Photo One. Something vaguely pointed and made of disintegrating iron. Note the weird folded appearance of the central metal bits....
Usual parade of rain coat on/off/on/off but we got about 90% of a day in.
It was fun to have a full day of actual archaeology, although I did offer to pitch in with the tedious backfill clearing if extra hands were needed. And stuff was found.
Roman Glass. You can still see through it.
Weather was The Usual. Alternating sun, clouds, rain, driving rain, birds singing happily. You get used to it after a while. Here's the site during one of the sunny spells.
Another thing about this spot is that it is next to the fence, so I get to talk to visitors. Today I was chatting when a kid of about 11 asked me where I was from.
"Wisconsin", said I.
"Me too", said he.
OK that's unusual, and I wondered if just possibly the kid was putting me on. No judgement mind you, I'd actually admire that level of brass. So I asked him to prove it.
"Go Pack!"
"Nope, not good enough"
"Uh.....Culvers!!!" Yep, he's from Wisconsin. If you know you know.
Another day of "The Archaeology of Archaeology", sifting through refill layers after that 1980 excavation. This had been carried out by a fellow named Paul Bidwell, so I decided to start a small "Bidwell Shrine" with artifacts left behind by he and his workers
Dixie cup. Broken tea cup. Looks like the top of a beer can. Guess the boss must not have been watching the lads too closely....
Next up is tbd, but we are probably done with the drudge work and on to actual archaelogy tomorrow, weather permitting.
Here's a barracks room that needs some attention. The better walls are from 213 AD on to maybe 400 AD. The curved "thing" from about 208. The stuff under it is obviously earlier. Layers and layers, the bottom layer dates to before 100 AD, but we won't be going there this year.
Back to work.
Day One was part orientation, part drudge work. The are of current interest had a brief and somewhat chaotic excavation in 1980. They backfilled the area, leaving a layer of plastic where they had stopped downward progress.
Of course certain traditions must be upheld. There is a spot where in 2010 a child's body was discovered under the floor of a barracks room. Foul play most foul in the First Century AD.
Writing things in advance poses a challenge. This applies particularly when you are jumping time zones and anticipating events yet to come. Presumably at time of posting in the Western Lands I'll be awake and starting my walk up the hill to Vindolanda for the first day of excavating. I assume the effects of Jet Lag Drinks Hour will be shaken off by plenty of black coffee and sheer determination.
I never know exactly who will be on hand for the digging crew. Oh, the core group of The Anaerobes have been accounted for. Some will be there. Others are dealing with publishers, with nappies that need changing, with life in LA. Who knows, perhaps our young friend Will might turn up. He excavated for one year back in 2016, at which time I imagined his return to the site.....in 2066. So how are my predictions holding up at the ten year mark? Here's what I imagined him saying:
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"Stop yer whinin' ya mewling cubs. Why I started digging here long before we had HoverBarrows and back when your fancy Excavator's Spa and Therapy Centre was nothin' more 'an a hut with mud on the floor." (1)
It's that time again.
Wheels up for the traditional two weeks of excavating at Vindolanda. This is for Period IV, so a little later than usual. I've been to P II once or twice, it can be rather chilly. I've only been to IV once, that great year where I got to stay for two sessions.
Many of the usual crew of folks will be on hand. Selection of a digging time is not done in isolation.
So at some point in the weird time shifting of international travel I'll be arriving at my home away from home, The Bowes.
I actually can't recall when I first stepped in the place. It was one of the years I traveled alone, and decided to take the train out of Newcastle. I got off at Bardon Mill, and had a goodly walk ahead of me. I distinctly remember thinking it would be good to fortify myself with a pint before slogging a couple of miles with all my kit. This would have been roughly eleven years ago, back when we were still staying at The Twice Brewed Inn. But did I actually do this or just think about it? When you've been traveling for 18 straight hours and across six or seven time zones the details get fuzzy.
But for sure a year or so later several of us did stop in. Big Steve, former barkeep at the Twicey, was now in charge at The Bowes. He showed us around. At this point the bar area had been remodeled nicely. The rooms upstairs, not so much. They were still very 1960's. Steve said he'd get us a "diggers rate". I thought it was a great opportunity. Some of my cohorts were skeptical.
Fast forward a bit. The Twice Brewed went full posh gastro pub, and the digger's discount rate there finally went away. It was time for a change. The Bowes had been fully remodeled, and we'd been there for a nice evening with great food. I was all set to be staying there in 2020. Then of course, Covid shut the world down. No digging season in '20. For '21 I just missed the slow, grudging loosening of restrictions. Even in '22, my first year staying at The Bowes, there were still pesky requirements for testing and such.
This will be my/our fifth stay there. I highly recommend it. Friendly staff, really great food. I like being able to enjoy a pint or two then just go up the stairs to my room.
I shall report back presently on assorted doing, including the annual Jet Lag Drinks Hour.
I have a travel check list. Several of them actually.
I keep my archaeology stuff ready to go, albeit no longer permanently packed in my carry on travel bag. Since starting at Vindolanda I've been attending way more robotics events and it comes in handy for those.
Of late my collection of hunting garb and digging garb has started to intermingle. They are both designed for layers on, layers off, although the former has more camo patterns. I may bring along something bright yellow for visibility. Some days I am crossing roads in early morning fog, and camo is not ideal. Maybe this?
I wear low top hiking boots about 90% of the time. With modern "quality" it takes me a month or two of trying pairs on to select one. Then a couple of months to break them in. I usually get about three years out of a pair. I try to wear them until they are kaput, then "bin them". I have at least once discarded a pair in the UK, sparing me some packing space. Alas, my last pair started losing stitch cohesion in February, so I'm breaking in a new pain of Keenes. They seem to have negotiated with my feet to a tolerant mutual understanding.
When in the UK I do lift things. Barrows full of dirt and rock for instance. I try to get ready for this. Walking is good. Working on the hunting land is good. Recently I had a long bus trip back from a robotics tournament and in the days after noticed my back was complaining. I admonished the malingering lumbo sacral regions and spent a few days moving rocks in our back yard pond feature. That actually made things better.
I also lift the occasional pint at the end of a digging day. Prep for that also requires foresight. Proper English ale is not easy to find in Wisconsin. For a while I could get Lazy Monk Brewing's Scottish Ale. Being close to the Border this is good enough. And of course comes in the pint denomination which Bacchus intended for Mankind.
Alas, it is a seasonal product. At a store in the next town over I can get Boddington's Pub Ale. It's not UK good, but will suffice.
We generally bring a few US type treats over. Girl Scout Thin Mints. Maybe I'll bring a small bag of Dot's Pretzel sticks. The UK has a bewildering assortment of snacks, biscuits, puddings and such but nothing quite like either of those very American junk foods.
That's most of the necessary prep. Bank a few tall tales. Avoid any discussion of whose political class is worst.
So at State our robot had a rather vigorous series of interactions with other robots and with solid objects. The front bar (top one) took enough force that the 1/8 inch thick box tube deformed about 3/4 of an inch in its center. Impressive, but it still did its job. Below is an undamaged section of the same stuff sans powder coating. Of course we carried a spare, but also straightened out this damaged part. It has become a souvenir.
Mascots of course. State had more of them than the smaller district events.
On my recent visit to the Bloomer Brewery building I heard a few stories of the place. For some reason there are plenty of 'em. Perhaps it makes sense. This is the sort of small town where people remember things, and the physical survival of the place encourages that.
It's early days were pretty much the usual tale of fires, ownership changes and so forth. It's when Prohibition came along that things got interesting.
Jacob Breunig bought the brewery in 1915. Four years later alcohol became illegal. That did not seem to deter him, and the tales of Prohibition era moonshine are backed up by a raid by the "Revenuers" in 1928. Bruenig sold the brewery to an A.L. Lipschulz of Saint Paul. This was probably in 1934; the architectural drawings we saw last time are associated with the sale. The new name "Bloomer Beverage Company" dates to this time.
After a few years he sold out to a man named Tankenoff. Oddly the product line trended towards ales instead of lagers. In this era their products were often named "Al's"after Mr. Lipschulz.
Business was so-so. This was not the sort of drink most rural Wisconsinites favored, and I've heard there was lingering resentment on the part of local authorities after the whole moonshining thing. To be fair I've also heard that the Chippewa County sheriff of that era turned a blind eye to this sort of thing.
It was the US Army contract that kept the business going. Shipping their ale, now rebranded as Buckingham Ale, to the UK was good business.
After the war the brewery closed. And the building was used for many things. Storage, but that's boring. How about a worm farm?
People like to fish in these parts. Fish like worms. Worms like a nice cool basement. What could possibly go wrong? Well, the place had rats. Solution? Rat poison. New problem? Rats defecating on the worm beds left traces of poison that killed all the nightcrawlers.
OK, how about a fish farm? The accounts I've heard vary a bit. Sometimes the rats re-enter the story. But the more detailed version is that they were trying to raise some sort of trout. These are a finicky thing to aquaculture, and if someone forgets to turn on the circulating pump one day.......
At various times parts of the sprawling complex seem to have been vacant. Our discussion at the bar turned to the issues of homelessness, and I was told that one time there was a guy living somewhere in the place. He started a fire and died. The fire department put out the smoldering fire and tossed his body rather unceremoniously onto a snow drift.
My revisit to look for the caves was prompted by a bar patron partly falling into a hole where one of the cave's vents finally washed down whatever it was filled with in the 1920's or so. And as it happens, falling into things is a theme here. One time when a guy renting out some space drove his truck in, a wheel sunk deeply into the ground. They had found the original well from the brewery.
Delightfully it was excavated, cleaned up, and a new top put on it. The above ground stonework in this picture is new, as of course is the sensible grate on the top. The well goes down a long, long way.
I do hope he was wearing that green plaid shirt and hat, and that it was Saint Patrick's Day....
I like historical mysteries. Sometimes the lead me on a merry chase. Such is the case with the cave associated with the Bloomer Brewery. My first two posts on this are worth a read to get context. Oh, TLDR? Well here's the basic dates and data. BLOOMER PART I. and BLOOMER PART II.
1872 brewery established. Presumably a lagering cave was created at that time.
1880's two fires damage or perhaps destroy the original brewery. First of several rebuilds and additions begin.
1934 - We have a nice architectural drawing of the place. New data!
1964 - a survey by the Department of Defense is taken of underground spaces in America. Places where citizens might ride out a nuclear apocalpyse. The caves of the Bloomer Brewery were rated for over 500 people!mid 1970's. My friends at the bar start working at the place.
Just recently the cave area was showcased with nice new woodwork and framing. I wish more caves were given this respect.
About those new friends. I'd made arrangements to revisit the site after new owners bashed a hole in the wall exposing a cave I'd suspected was there but now, yes NOW I would get all the answers. One of the folks I had lunch with had actually fallen into a hole out back of the building, tipping them off to an underground space! That's what prompted them to have at the back wall of the known - but rather tiny - caves for a look see. The hole is visible in the above photo. Let's take a peek.
First, here's a look at the back wall today.
A ladder was helpfully obtained. Looking at the newly created hole we can see that it went through some newer, definitely 20th century, materials that had been plastered over. I'm thinking 1920s.
And what lies beyond?
Huh. There's only about another 15 feet of cave back there. With of course a vent hole that is just the right size to put a leg down into. Glad nobody got hurt. I see no plausible side passages. The black material might be tar adhesive for cork, but given the state of disrepair is more likely nasty fungus stuff.
So how to put this all together?
Please consider this nothing more than educated speculation. But I have had a chance to examine the brewery caves of enterprises large and small, old and new, successful and....otherwise.
I think what we are seeing here is the original 1870's lagering cave. It's not big, but just maybe big enough. The brewery put up around 500 barrels of beer in 1875, and if we assume it was not all in one batch you could almost manage it with this space. Or a bit more, but we'll get to that part. There have always been features of this cave that did not make sense. For instance the rather formidable "ante chamber". For a simple cave that lead into the nice convenient space of the brewery basement this engineering is rather over the top.
The area to consider carefully is in that 1880's addition. It was not open for a look on this visit, but last time I was there here's the back wall of it.
Until some day when the moisture finally wins and the drywall is replaced, I'll just keep assuming that there are additional storage caves back there. The output of the brewery in the 1880's was presumably more than the original cave could handle, and I deem it unlikely that they'd have gone early for the mechanical refrigeration. It was not a successful enough operation to be an early adopter of expensive new technology.
That leaves one additional mystery. How would you fit 500 plus nuclear refugees into this place? Per the 1934 drawing there was no way they could have shown whoever came around for a look any caves that would come close. So it must have been the basement space in my last photo. And while this is cheating a bit I want to be fair. The ceiling of this was supporting huge brew kettles and other heavy things. It is supported by beams and girders, and has a ridiculous composition of thick layers of wood and three or four inches of honest to goodness concrete. It would be a plausible fallout shelter despite having its front section be above ground. A number of civil defense signs found in this area would seem to back this theory up.
Maybe when the inspector came around in the early 1960's he looked at the actual cave, shook his head sadly....and then got into a friendly discussion with the locals over a couple of beers. "Ah, heck. Close enough for Government work!"
I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Old Bloomer Brewery Bar and Grill served up a great burger and fries, and although I was - due to other commitments - not able to enjoy a beer or two, that should not stop any of you from doing so!
