excavation, 1049 Photos

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Burial (2120) Context (2104) Context (2034) Burial (2106) Ruth & Will sampling deposit (2137) Tomas & Anies at work on their chalk-lined burial The Prescot Street site looking East East end of Zone 4 East along Prescot Street towards the BT Radianz building The construction is well under way in what was our Zone 1 Tiny machines and giant props The North West corner of the old Zone 1 - it's VERY deep! Across Zone 4 facing West Zone 4, looking South West Looking directly West across site Planning Zone 4 Across Zone 4 looking North East Context (2044) Context (1930) Context [1967] Context [1971] Context [1972] Context [1956] Context [1954] Context [1953] Context [1555] - a mysterious brick-lined feature Detail of [1952] a mysterious brick-lined feature Context (1308) Context [1973] Taking samples Context (2000) Context [1444] Urn in [2008] Context [2008] possibly a ditch with an urn Context [2013] - a pit Zone 4 facing North Context (2000) another mysterious feature Context (2029) - a truncated inhumation Context [2008] Across the construction site looking North West View across site looking North West Gherkin, piling rig and archaeologist. The far North East end of site Zone 4, facing Prescot Street Zone 4 Far East end of site Far East end of site in Zone 4 of the excavation Gary's lead goat Context (1930) A Georgian wishing well (1920) Remains of heavily truncated skeleton (1918) Anies defining the cut of tomb foundation (1839) Anies & Tomasz and tomb burial (1839) Post-medieval drainage feature in Zone 4 Across site looking north west North East corner of Zone 4 Pitland in Zone 4 Looking South West across Zone 4 South east end of site in Zone 4 Zone 4 South East (1901) Burial (1890) (1898) Roman quarry pit (1894) Roman quarry pit (1873) Roman quarry pit (1887) Roman quarry pit Roman coffin stain with skeleton (1891) Tomasz in grave cut (1910) Roman grave (1859) Grave cut [1910] - the deepest one on site so far (1863) Roman quarry pit (1909) Oval-shaped Roman quarry pit (1907) The basement of one of the houses on Prescot Street [1910] Grave cut Liz's current project - a skull Anies and some well-placed advertising Adrian, Ashley & Tomasz discuss the basement area in Zone 4 Fergal taking samples from soak-away (1555) Across Zone 4 looking south west Liz cleaning a skull North East corner of Zone 4 [1915] Roman pit Cist Cremation (1805) Double Cremation Opposite view of Double Cremation (1812) GeoPhoto Burial (1812) Rich Cremation (1801) Detail of Cremation (1801) Detail of Cremation 1801 Detail of offerings associated with 1801 Three flagons laid outide wooden container (1801) GeoPhoto Burial 1810 (legs only) Burial (1810) Early stages of (1801) Pit [1873] Cremations 1805 and 1820 with lids on Will and Jon tackle a double cremation Double Cremation Aerial View Aerial View of Zone 3 eastern end East End of the Site The Whole Site Zone 3 Working Shot Zone 3 Working Shot Chalk Burial 1834 GeoPhoto Stone Lined Tomb 1839 Stone Lined Tomb (1839) Digger Bliss (1801) after partial lifting of the grave goods (1801) after partial lifting of the grave goods Looking back over zone 2 Western end of Zone 3 looking north Remnants of the Ring Ditch [1770] Zone 3 border with Zone 4 Fergal and Ruth Double Cremation 1805/1820 looking south (1831) after excavation (1831) GeoPhoto (1831) GeoPhoto (1831) Upturned skull Burial (1831) Wide shallow pit [1829] (1824) GeoPhoto Burial (1824) Liz looking so happy to be lifting the feet of (1812) Detail of Burial (1812) Greg excavating burial 1812 Ruth lifting cremation (1801) Clearing a large pit Cut of Cremation Burial [1856] Cremation 1851 Grave Cut [1835] Cut [1801] of Cremation Burial Tile Cist 1805 After Opening (GeoPhoto) Grave Cut [1832] Shallow Pit [1844] Burial 1813 - Grave Cut Context (1796) Zone 3b on a miserable drizzly morning Across site looking North West Zone 3b looking North View across Zone 3b looking South-East Ashley & Gary recording View East across Zone 3b View across site looking East Will completing his paperwork Ruth cleaning an area over 575/105 Ruth is shy Greg cleaning pits Site looking north west Anies & Chaz and a late medieval ditch Liz excavating a possible grave Liz excavating a possible grave, looking south east across site Adrian and Ionut in a pit (302) (L - R) Ceri, Gary & Ashley digging a pit with disturbed cremations Tomasz excavating grave (1795) Ceri in his pit [1783] Ceri in pit [1783] that contains a disturbed cremation Site shot looking south east Ashley & Fergal in their ring ditch [1770] Jon with a glass jar Chaz in ditch [1350] Liz has hoeing skills Zone 3b Liz cleaning Zone 3b Jon & Adrian and pit [302] Adrian in pit [302] Fergal and Ashley loading up the samples for Steve David entering data onto ARK David Context (1762) - a pit Liz Gary & Fergal Anies Ceri Will & Liz Ruth & Will Anies and Ashley Gary, Fergal and a soak away Ceri Anies and Ashley Looking south-west across site Linear feature or beam slot??? [1759] Pit [1732] Gary at work Pit cut [1755] Inhumation (1751) Grave cut [1750] Context (1747) Grave cut [1734] Cremation urn (1745) Grave cut [1727] Adrian excavating grave cut [1727] Liz planning grave cut [1720] Grave cut [1720] Fergal posing with his shovel Adrian and Liz Large pit Large pit Greg Skeleton (1723) Skull of (1723) Skull & vertebrae of (1723) Skeleton (1723) Skeleton (1723) Skeleton (1723) excavated by Ruth Flexed prone skeleton (1723) Skeleton (1733), excavated by Will & Tomasz Skeleton (1733) with votive Samian vase (1736) at feet Grave cut [1711] of Ruth's skeleton (1723) Disarticulated skeleton (1728), excavated by Adrian Skeleton (1728) (1719) geophoto Skeleton (1719) Adrian's grave cut (1727) Will & Tomasz excavating (1733) Adrian excavating skeleton (1728) Liz recording grave cut (1720) Ruth, Tomasz and Will recording Context (1720) Anies & Adrian looking for a grave cut Tomasz excavating a post-Medieval pit Ceri and possible inhumation Ashley & Ceri and site looking East Liz working on an inhumation (1719) Soak-away (1713) Fergal and (1698) Fergal doesn't want to leave Ruth's skeleton Across site looking North East Working shot looking North Ruth, Will and Fergal at work A somewhat busy corner of site Ruth, Will and Fergal Ruth working on the ribs Ruth excavating skeleton Votive (?) vessel (1707) (1666) Skeleton (1708) Skeleton (1708) Ruth and skeleton Dave and skeleton (1708) Liz and skeleton Ceri and skeleton Gary Tomasz, our human tractor Ceri, our new recruit (L - R) David, Skeleton (1698) Fergal and Anies Anies interviews Fergal for a future feature Ashley, glad to be back at work Across site, looking north east Ruth doing a spot of trowelling Fergal's skeleton (1698) (1698) geophoto Jon in another soak-away Ceri & Adrian removing the horn core from [1587] Skull of (1698) Skeleton (1698) Fergal excavating the pelvic area of (1698) Close up of (1698) Ceri and Adrian excavating the rest of the horn core pit [1587] Anies going down Anies explaining planning at Prescot to Tomasz Adrian and Ceri in the horn core pit cut, with horn core samples in foreground Peter from the Mudlarks metal detecting the spoil Ruth & Will packing up skeleton (1665) Skeleton (1698) Fergal excavating skeleton (1698) (1665) geophoto Skeleton (1665) Skeleton (1665) from above Soak-away (1683) Fergal excavating a grave Tomasz digging grave cut of 1668, with Dave's cremation pit (1675) in foreground Gary's post-medieval soak-away 1676 where the gun flint was found Detail of horn-core pit Jon at the top of a soak-away Jon & Ruth Gary is actually kneeling at the base of his soak-away Liz and Adrian recording the horn core pit Detail of horn core pit Horn-core pit (1578) from above Horn core pit (1578) Cremation (1675) Fergal has skills Will recording Working shot looking South Liz spots something that Fergal may have missed Tomasz working on a skeleton - no context number yet Tomasz, our newest member of staff Fergal & Liz working on Jon's horncore pit Looking East along hoarding Lorna, practically public archaeology in action The information boards The information boards The information boards The information boards The information boards Context 1640 - a pit Context 1623 - a pit again Context 1625 - yet another pit Context 1615 - a pit... Context 1636 - go on, guess... Context 1632 - another pit Top Gun It's all action down on site. Man action. Context 1455 - possibly a Roman construction cut The joy of work Will recording [1455] - a linear structure David clearing a layer Ruth working her way down to [1601] - a skeleton Context [1587] - another horn core pit! Shot across site looking south east Shot north west Shot facing south across site from viewing platform Shot across site southwards from the viewing platform From viewing platform looking south across site Working shot looking south west Ruth's beam slot/drainage feature Context 1558 - Roman pit Two Roman pot bases A mandible from a sheep/goat Will Will in a small pit Context 1574 - Roman pit Context 1566 - shallow linear cut Context 1561 - large posthole/small pit Context 1570 - Pit Anies, pretty in pink. Context 1581 - Gary's Roman pit Placed stones within a linear feature Working shot north east Roman building materials (?) from context 1455 Greg at work Fergal cleaning 1443 Greg in 1503 Greg in 1503 David protects his hearing Gary and Ionut Adrian digging pit 1469 Looking north Adrian admires Anies' techniques Ruth and Will digging a drainage feature 1406 1406 again If you're not on the list, you're not coming in Will in 1478 - possibly a Roman robbed out wall foundation Liz in a ditch - 1471 & 1473 Fergal cleaning something or other Gary sorting out some levels Gary is working out his line of collimation Never underestimate the comedy value of an auto level Across site looking south west 1406 - drainage feature 1443 gravel surface 1443 gravel surface 1458 Pit cut [1421] excavated by Ruth Three of the most handsome workers on site. And Anies. Context [1383] - Dave's pit Working shot with Ionut in foreground Gregory Mudlark Jim Will filling in a context sheet Ruth excavating a small pit cut [1421] in a section created by a foundation trench The closest I like to get to all that nasty mud and sweaty dirty diggers. David considering his pit [1383] Context [1442] - a disturbed cremation (1436) ready for the geophoto (1436) Skeleton (1436) (1436) And a nice cup of tea afterwards... Guy giving a guided tour at Prescot Street Chaz down on site in PPE, pointing out features for Guy The visitors Beginning the site tour Guy talking to the site visitors on Tuesday evening Beginning the site tour Site entrance at the Prescot Street site National Archaeology Week at Prescot Street Will, Dave and Greg excavating a series of intercutting Roman quarry pits Gary and prism, looking east across site Anies and Fergal digging out a post-medieval ditch [1318] Serpantinesque drain run from the other end Drainage feature at the southern end of the serpantinesque drain run [1318] Serpantinesque post- medieval drain Anies mattocking technique #1 Anies mattocking technique #2 Anies mattocking technique #3 [1292] Roman pit contained placed human skulls [1271] being geophotographed [1271] a large pit with three skulls at the west end [1275] ready to be geophotographed Context [1275] a heavily truncated but well preserved inhumation Adrian and context [1275] Anies digs, whilst Gary and Ashley supervise Will & Ruth Site shot facing south east Liz, Ruth and Will Gary & Anies are enjoying excavating their soak-away Adrian working on [1275] Will Clarke, our newest member of staff Adrian working on [1275] Adrian working on [1275] Horn-core ready for delivery to the Museum of London for analysis Even more horn-cores. I had just told Gary that Chaz wanted him to dig another soak-away... Site looking east Working shot looking east, with much machine watching The samples, ready for Campion in Cambridge. Guy, Site Director and Head of Ops David undertaking GIS business I'm checking on Gary's findsmanship. Being the findsman is serious business Putting the finishing touches to the small finds register PSHQ The last area of Zone 2 looking east Foundations of one of the houses that stood at South Tenter Street Anies under the bluest of skies [1268] a bit of wall [1250] base of a soak-away Looking south across Zone 2 [1265] Roman pit Working shot looking south east across site [1258] Domed brick lined soak-away Site looking east along southern limit of excavation [1252] Yet another soak-away Across site, looking east Working shot looking south east Looking south across Zone 2 A spot of light (expertly supervised) machining... Gary was hypnotised by the big yellow machine... [1222] Pit with votive offering Anies actually does work sometimes too. Chaz holding the prism for David H Pooley shovelling technique #1 #2 #3. Ionut remains unimpressed. [1222] being dug by Liz Greg and Adrian [1222] and Liz [1222] and Liz Site shot looking south south-west Claire, from our Chester office, getting a piece of Prescot action View across site looking south Top part of an amphora, from Greg's big pit Greg doesn't look too pleased about his amphora [1169] Site looking north west Zone 2 north end Gary Adrian and Greg helping the metal detectorist David planning a nasty splodge Shale bracelet Blue Glass Game Counter Gary in the stone lined pit Stone lined pit again Stone lined pit Context 958 Site shot east north-east Anies excavating a stone lined pit Construction cut 1139 Construction cut 1139 Our David - archaeologist, artist and my new flatmate. Site shot looking north north-west Adrian and Ashley in context 1142 Liz hoeing Greg cleaning context 958 Iancu in context 1139 Across Zone 2 looking south Adrian Fergal and Liz working on a soak-away Ruth working on her horncore-lined soakaway (1098) 18th century horncore-lined soakaway (1098) 18th century horncore-lined soakaway (1098) looking west Liz and site facing west across what was Zone 1 The latest horn core pit Ruth recording the latest horn core pit Ashley Working shot Liz Liz excavating a cremation burial Site looking north north east Gary trying to catch up on his paperwork...about time too Anies trying to work out an edge David pauses..reflects. Liz sampling an unurned cremation Greg taking a 1 metre box sample through cultivation soil Ruth working on another horn core pit Site shot looking east across Zone 2 Fergal's soakaway (1095) Cremation burial (1051) being excavated by Paula

The open evenings held on the 15th, 16th and 17th July were a great success, with 95 visitors to the site over the three evenings, which also included a number of residents from the houses on South Tenter Street overlooking the site – some of whom remembered playing on the site when it was a car park in the 1980’s. There was lots of positive feedback from visitors and we think that everyone gained a clear picture of what we are doing here at Prescot Street and why it is so interesting. Huge thanks are due to the wonderful Natalie Cohen, Rob Whytehead and David Bowsher, for their interesting and informative talks, Guy for his expert guided tour, and the Prescot Street staff that stood in for me at late notice and managed the finds handling. As I had been struck down with a kidney infection, I missed two out of the three evenings, so I am going to have organise another open evening in September, in order that I can experience something similar to the National Archaeology Week fun myself. I will confirm final details in August on the Prescot website.

On Saturday 19th July, the Camden Young Archaeologist’s Club came to visit the site and learn about what goes on behind the big white hoardings on a commercial archaeology site. The group enjoyed a site tour by me (obviously not as comprehensive as Guy’s!), handled some of the more exciting finds and especially enjoyed the skulls and found out about stratigraphy – although the big yellow machinery was slightly more distracting for some… Thanks to Sarah Dhanjal and Mike Corbishley for arranging the visit and Johanna and Lowell for helping out. I will post some pictures soon.

Some of the visitors comments from the open evenings are below:

Just wanted to thank you very much for yesterday evening. It was so enlightening and interesting to see archaeology from a professional point of view. I very much enjoyed seeing the site and hope for all the best results from the finds for you and all the team.

Thank you so much for arranging the visit to Prescot Street for us. We all enjoyed it immensely and were very impressed by the GIS system of recording and analysis

I was prepared to be disappointed – but was not at all! Top marks for everything on Prescot Street dig!

Good mix of activities, especially liked seeing archive system (GIS)

Very informative, excellent overview of the East London Roman Cemetery and post-Roman development

Very grateful for a very pleasant, informative and informal event

Having seen some sites in the countryside in Greece and Turkey I was surprised how literally it was a building site.