Having been in the classroom for the last 6 months it was quite tough getting back into the physicality of fieldwork once again, but once the blisters have healed and the muscles have warmed up it all feels good again. It rained heavily for periods during last week which made the archaeology hard to distinguish but once you do a bit of cleaning back it becomes a bit clearer and the features can be excavated in sequence. So far I have been excavating a series of Medieval and Roman pits around about the large gravel quarry pit in the centre of the open area. A few beers after work on Friday was a good chance to get to know a few of the people I hadn’t worked with before and unwind a bit; the sunshine this week has made it all the better.

whitechapel, 811 Photos

» Show as slideshow in new window.

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 goat 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 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 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) David Ross sampling a pit 1663 My dearest Ashley and level Tomasz and 1668 Tomasz Gary starting to dig a soakaway 1676 Will cleaning the top of a skeleton 1665 Fergal has not quite got to the bottom of it yet This is where we keep Liz at night 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. (1617) geophoto Skeleton (1617) Skeleton (1601) geophoto Skeleton (1601) Adrian and his skeleton (1617) Working shot looking east across Zone 3 Ruth working on the feet of (1561) Jon continues to enjoy the horn core pit (1587) Context 1613 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 [1258] Domed brick lined soak-away Working shot looking south east across site 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] Zone 2 north end Site looking north west David planning a nasty splodge Gary Adrian and Greg helping the metal detectorist 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) Ruth recording a scatter of cremated bone Fergal & Iancu pausing to ponder the meaning of it all... A sample bucket full of sampled goodness Sample 36 ready for delivery to L - P : Environmental A sample bucket (1032) Łukasz's current project Gary excavating another skeleton (1039) Cremation? Skeleton (1032) Ancillary vessel within cremation burial, probably an offering of some kind Ancillary vessel within cremation burial, probably an offering of some kind Site shot looking south west Reducing the ground level in Zone 2, looking west Looking north across Zone 2; Tom in a soak-away, Lukasz clearing modern drains View north; David digging a Roman linear feature Anies carefully supervising Fergal's shovelling techniques Paula digging a post-medieval brick-lined pit Evaluation trench 2 from 2006 - view north View north - post holes - possible Roman graves and evaluation trench View west - see the lovely site hut... Working shot across site Ashley removing backfill from 2006 evaluation trench 2 Zone 2 looking North West Zone 2 looking North Zone 2 looking North East Zone 2 North Zone 2 South Zone 2 looking East Zone 1 being backfilled Zone 2 looking North IMG_3578.JPG IMG_3578.JPG A big shiny digger Work starting in Zone 2 Lucasz cleaning up Site looking east Zone 1 completed South end of site View east across site View north across site Huge ?16th Century quarry pit The team What a lovely team we have Look at Lucasz isn't he small? Working Shot Quarry Pit Working Shot Working Shot Section Analysis East of Zone 1 Quarry Pit Cut into Quarry Pit Cleaning Quarry Pit South End of Quarry Pit Working Shot, Greg and Iancu Working Shot North End of Quarry Pit Working Shot of Paula Working Shot of Greg A very pointy sole from the big quarry pit Very pointy sole A shoe folded on itself Sole and part of the vamp Liz in the organic fill Working shot looking north Leather about to be removed from the pit Lukasz A sample of the leather from the organic fill Some of the leather, with lots of soles and vamps Excavating the big quarry pit Working shot zone 1 north end