A day of digging
Have you ever wondered what it is like to take part in an archaeological excavation? Take a look at this photo diary of a day of digging at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire.
9.30 The students get a tour of the site to understand how the excavations relate to the history of Berkeley Castle
10.00 We have a slight delay as we chase two woolly trespassers out of the trench
10.05 Site supervisor Sian Thomas explains what we will be working on today
10.15 We start excavating down to the floor level of a possible Anglo Saxon house
11.15 Sian explains the development of the Norman house in the corner of the trench
13.00 The students take a well deserved lunch break in the only shaded part of the field!
14.00 One of the day's first finds! Andrew from Australia discovers a piece of iron, possibly a horseshoe
14.30 Sian shows us some of the other finds that have been excavated from the site this season
15.00 We abandon the heavy tools for trowels, to investigate an area more carefully
15.30 Students finish off drawings to record what we have found in the trench so far
15.45 Martin uses a dumpy level to record exact heights above sea level
16.30 We clear up all the loose soil, and take some photographs of the trench to record our progress
16.45 It's the end of the day. We put away the tools, and head home to wash off the fine layer of red dust we are all covered in!
If you want to get your hands dirty too, read Cat's blog on how to find the right dig.