Cherwell Community Archaeology 2018
We have achieved good things this year - and have gained even more knowledge of what is under our feet in Kidlington. We dug an interesting test pit in The Moors where we learnt about building techniques post war, and found a farmers pen knife (already reported in an edition of Kidlington News).
We also gained two new members – one of which has offered a garden for a test pit next year. Our web site is now 'live' and will be updated monthly so that if YOU want to know what we are doing you can check up on us via the web site.
https://cherwellcommunityarchaeology.weebly.com/
It took a while but we are now a constituted group with a good number of fully paid up members. Due to our experience, with test pits and recording, we are often invited to join other groups to assist – mostly - with test pits. This year however we were invited to a proper excavation of two weeks on what was thought to be an Iron Age site. We did not do the research but a geophysical survey showed promising circle and oblong marks in the landscape. I can hardly describe the excitement within the group to be able to take part in a proper excavation. The weather was excellent and parking was very close – just a short walk across the field – to the dig site. The digging was hard as due to the type of ploughing in this field there was a hard surface just a foot below the surface. Under that 'hard' surface was all that remained of an Iron Age farm. So the surface under the hard surface was last seen 2,500 years ago. There were two excavation sites in this field – one was mostly focused on a Roman site the other was an Iron Age Farm. We worked hard scraping back history both with mattock and trowel, shovel and bucket and found amazing very dateable pottery proving that this field had been 'home' to the people of this local village 500 years BC. Sorry, I am not at liberty to identify where we were for fear of scavengers only out to find things for profits.
On my last day I had the privilege to find an artefact identified as a comb (weaving) made of bone, last used 2,500 years ago. The Comb looked at first sight like a dogs paw having six claws. The artefact has been preserved and will go for conservation in the near future (it may already have gone). A picture was taken only ten minutes after it had been found (Eileen Anderson CCA member took the photo) with no scale to show its size, so 'in the raw' however when later measured if was found to be 30mm x 110mm. (see artefact of month for picture).
During the two week dig children from the local school came to view what we were doing and what we had found. The children were also invited to 'dig' in the spoil heap with trowels, the heap had been 'seeded' with finds from previous digs. Once the 'finds' had been found the children were allowed to take what they had found home, to explain to parents and siblings what had been found and how.
2019 We hope to repeat the dig activities with local children next year when we take part in the Festival of Archaeology. We have plans to join the Council for British Archaeology in 2019 these are the organisers of the Festival of Archaeology.
We are planning to organise a public – come and have a go – dig at The Highwayman next year as well as our plans to take part in the Festival of Archaeology in July in the garden of the County Museum Woodstock. The dates for these events are yet to be determined but all will be welcome to come and take part.
Things are looking good for 2019 – Happy Christmas and fruitful New Year 2019 to all.
Chris Turley and the diggers of Cherwell Community Archaeology
We have achieved good things this year - and have gained even more knowledge of what is under our feet in Kidlington. We dug an interesting test pit in The Moors where we learnt about building techniques post war, and found a farmers pen knife (already reported in an edition of Kidlington News).
We also gained two new members – one of which has offered a garden for a test pit next year. Our web site is now 'live' and will be updated monthly so that if YOU want to know what we are doing you can check up on us via the web site.
https://cherwellcommunityarchaeology.weebly.com/
It took a while but we are now a constituted group with a good number of fully paid up members. Due to our experience, with test pits and recording, we are often invited to join other groups to assist – mostly - with test pits. This year however we were invited to a proper excavation of two weeks on what was thought to be an Iron Age site. We did not do the research but a geophysical survey showed promising circle and oblong marks in the landscape. I can hardly describe the excitement within the group to be able to take part in a proper excavation. The weather was excellent and parking was very close – just a short walk across the field – to the dig site. The digging was hard as due to the type of ploughing in this field there was a hard surface just a foot below the surface. Under that 'hard' surface was all that remained of an Iron Age farm. So the surface under the hard surface was last seen 2,500 years ago. There were two excavation sites in this field – one was mostly focused on a Roman site the other was an Iron Age Farm. We worked hard scraping back history both with mattock and trowel, shovel and bucket and found amazing very dateable pottery proving that this field had been 'home' to the people of this local village 500 years BC. Sorry, I am not at liberty to identify where we were for fear of scavengers only out to find things for profits.
On my last day I had the privilege to find an artefact identified as a comb (weaving) made of bone, last used 2,500 years ago. The Comb looked at first sight like a dogs paw having six claws. The artefact has been preserved and will go for conservation in the near future (it may already have gone). A picture was taken only ten minutes after it had been found (Eileen Anderson CCA member took the photo) with no scale to show its size, so 'in the raw' however when later measured if was found to be 30mm x 110mm. (see artefact of month for picture).
During the two week dig children from the local school came to view what we were doing and what we had found. The children were also invited to 'dig' in the spoil heap with trowels, the heap had been 'seeded' with finds from previous digs. Once the 'finds' had been found the children were allowed to take what they had found home, to explain to parents and siblings what had been found and how.
2019 We hope to repeat the dig activities with local children next year when we take part in the Festival of Archaeology. We have plans to join the Council for British Archaeology in 2019 these are the organisers of the Festival of Archaeology.
We are planning to organise a public – come and have a go – dig at The Highwayman next year as well as our plans to take part in the Festival of Archaeology in July in the garden of the County Museum Woodstock. The dates for these events are yet to be determined but all will be welcome to come and take part.
Things are looking good for 2019 – Happy Christmas and fruitful New Year 2019 to all.
Chris Turley and the diggers of Cherwell Community Archaeology