Ravenglass 2019 - the conclusion

 Digging Trench 4 on the cliff edge!

That was a good week! The weather was mostly kind to us - handy as we were digging in such an exposed position facing the Irish Sea. 

  

Another cobble surface!

 In 2017, test pits east of the Barrow to Carlisle railway unearthed Roman occupation continuing at least 250m north of the fort. This year, this activity was found to cover the entire area west of the railway line, increasing the area of the vicus by another 2 hectares. Cobble surfaces, drains and gulleys suggest domestic and industrial activity, similar to that found north and east of the fort in recent years. Further questions, such as the date of this activity, will require more extensive excavation.

              Tea break (left to right) Brian, Leo, Len, Alan, Stephe, Bryan, Zoe and Debbie

Thanks so much to the professional archaeologists who gave their time for free: Bryan, Debbie and Zoe. Also to the locals who helped: Brian, Leo, Len, Alan, Stephe, Nick and Craig.

A new season - in the Boat House Field

 Opening up Trench 1, with the River Esk (right) and the platform of the Roman fort (right background).  volunteers Alan and Len (unfortunately with backs to camera) are in the foreground.

This year, after being up at Muncaster Castle, the team is back closer to the fort. With a team coming from York, there are also two diggers from Lancaster, as well as local volunteers.

The first trenches have been opened on the Boat House Field. Trench 1 was intended to find a ditch under the topsoil, but the topsoil was surprisingly thick, so we have decided to excavate both ends of the trench to find at what depth the Roman levels (if any) lie. Other, smaller test pits are being opened up to identify the extent of Romal deposits across the field.
 

Day 5 - Excavations at Muncaster Castle

 

 

 Trench 1 showing rubble on both sides of the culvert, with the path at the far end

 

Trench 2 having been backfilled already, we devoted all out attention to Trench 1. Removal of the base of the path at the east end of the trench revealed more rubble, presumably the same fill as that at the west end of the trench and in Trench 2. Whatever the rubble filled was a very large cut. Although we didn't find anything Roman during the excavation, there is clearly still lots of archaeology to investigate at Muncaster Castle.

The final day backfilling team: Len, Bryan, Rowan and Alan

 

All that remained to do was to backfill Trench 2, then off to the cafe for some cake!

Thanks to the 2018 excavation team: Bryan Antoni, Alan Bell, Cath Duncan, Anita Garnett, Bridget Gerry, Brian Kennish, Rowan May, Leo Saldanha, Doug Scales and Len Watson. Thanks also to Peter Frost-Pennington for his support and for letting us use the Castle's cafe; and to Sharon Arrowsmith, Muncaster Castle curator, for supplying information about the site. Roll on 2019!

Day five - the final countdown ...

The final day on site had fine weather again. Remarkably, almost the entire week on site was dry, so we were lucky.

Test Pit 1 appears to have clipped a clay-line oven or kiln, with ash and charcoal layers suggestive of rakings-ou from the structure.

Test Pit 2 had a thick layer of ash found to over-lie the original Roman ground surface.

 TP5 - road surfaces overlying the base of the road

In Test Pit 5 a third layer of cobbles and pebbles prove to rest on a layer of boulders, apparently the base of a well-built road - presumably the main road north from the fort.  Probing indicated that the road was some 10 metres wide.

 Doug excavating the road base in TP5

In Test Pit 7, a post-hole and small ditch or beam-slot was cut into a layer of burnt clay.

From left to right: Doug, Steve, Bryan, Brian, Len, and Kurt at the Cafe

The trenches were then backfilled after tea and cake at the The Turntable Cafe at the La'al Ratty.

Alan, Len and Brian backfilling

 
That's the last day of digging news. Watch out for more posts about this season's campaign, including reports about the site finds, the Beach Walking finds, and Kurt's conclusions about the Test Pit excavations!

Day Four - Nearly t-shirt weather!

Remarkably fine (almost t-shirt) weather today!

In TP1, Alan found a clay wall associated with ash and charcoal layers (raking out?).  Len found further ashy layers in TP2. 

Ashy, stony surface in TP2

Closer to the fort, Doug was down to his third layer of cobble surface in TP5. This is looking increasingly the Roman road running north from the fort.

 Another cobble surfce in TP5

In TPs 6 (Bryan) and 7 (Anita & Steve), layers of burnt clay indicate yet more industrial activity.

We're very grateful to Debbie for the donuts which finished demolishing today!

Meanwhile, the finds team (Brian and Sandra) have finally finished sorting out the beach walking finds, which are now ready for sending off to the specialists when we can afford it. It was satisfying to see all the boxes lined up!

Day One - Good weather, nice trenches and nicer people

We've opened four trenches (Test Pits 1-4) looking for more evidence of the Roman vicus north of the fort. Len, Les, Alan, Chris and Doug helped Bryan and Kurt with the digging.

Les and Len in TP2 admiring their finds

We have indeed found evidence of the Roman vicus in this area! It looks very promising and we hope make more interesting discoveries tomorrow.

Alan and Chris working

And here's Bryan shovelling enthusiastically

Meanwhile in the dig HQ Brian, Leo and Sandra were investigating the finds gathered from Ravenglass beach in recent years. They are preparing the finds to be sent to the specialists.  However, they came across a very strange find!  Comment on the blog if you think you know what it might be ...

It is made of ceramic and is a very strange shape  ...

On the underside, it looks like it may have been attached to something

What will tomorrow bring?

Kurt's Excavation diary, 12th - 16th September 2016

Monday 12 September

 Ravenglass - part of the sea wall

Here we are again, just a brief visit this time. Kurt and Bryan examined the new sea wall in front of the Roman fort – massive boulders set in a deep trench. Let’s hope that it will prevent erosion of the fort for the foreseeable future.

Tuesday 13 September

 

On site, working hard

While Bryan was getting his car fixed in Whitehaven, Kurt assisted the locals (Brian, Leo, Len, Alan and Nick) in recording a small mound near the Decoy Pond. There had been talk of this being an ancient mound, but a recent investigation had been inconclusive. The heavens opened in the afternoon, so we decided to complete the work the following day!

Wednesday 14 September

 The finished trench

With Bryan back on the case, we made steady work of the small trenches across the mound. This confirmed that the mound was entirely natural. Similar features were observed in the surrounding area, and are probably merely irregularities in the landscape, which formed following the last glaciation some 10,000 years ago. Not the most exciting conclusion, but that’s archaeology!  Sandra arrived by train during the day, and in the evening we had a fine meal in the Ratty Arms with Brian, Patty, Leo and Debbie.

Thursday 15 September

The morning was spent on the Ratty railway, taking in Eskdale Mill at Boot. This impressive working watermill now has a third waterwheel, this time devoted to the production of electricity. Bearing in mind the many powerful streams in the area, it does seem strange that these streams are not utilised for power generation with the aid of some sympathetic engineering.

 

Is it Pot or Not? 

In the afternoon, up at Muncaster Castle, Sandra & Bryan sorted the last batch of Roman finds recovered from the beach, probably mostly from the fort. The pottery included Samian ware, the brick and tile included flue tile from a hypocaust, and there was also the greater part of a fine quernstone. This added to the already impressive assemblage of finds that had been recovered from the beach.

Friday 16 September

Still on guard at Ravenglass

Back to York, via a snack van at Devil’s Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale!  Thanks to the Ravenglass locals for being so welcoming again. Hopefully we’ll be back soon.