Day 9
Friday 3rd September

“Its only archaeology: it’s not going to change the world if you get it wrong.” Anon

At eight this morning the river was covered in mist and it was even thicker on the other bank, shrouding Yarn Hill. With the 21st century veiled, it was just the morning to feel the presence of the Romans just out of sight, listening to the curlews as they worked.

About 28 people were here today, excavating, washing finds, completing the surveying and core sampling. Each team was working with the reassuring presence of an expert.

Surveying

John Duffy was back to fill in some blank spaces. He has now recorded his work onto the National Grid and so our site is now exactly placed on an OS map. He has taken 200 readings and used them to create a 3D model showing the contours of the island.

Identification

Jude Plouviez, the Roman Specialist from SCCAS, was with us today. She has identified the large amount of fired and faced clay as definitely bricotage from salt working, but not found where it was being used (This is always on the water line). She told us that on East Anglian rural sites it is notoriously hard to find buildings, as timber constructions resting on the ground leave no traces.

She could tell us that the site definitely contained 2nd century Roman material – pots, bricotage and amphorae used for transporting oil or wine. So far we can only speculate as to its use, but she felt it was neither military nor of very high status, although the discovery of the seal box in 1907 does point to literacy. Also, the samian ware was standard in the Roman army, and ‘the Wedgewood of the era’. So disappointingly, no real answers here yet.

Finds

Jude identified our Roman coin as a 16 century lead weight. Rosie worked all day on a wonderful post hole, with a large solid pad in the centre. Possibly a post would have rested on this. Duncan said it could connect with the other post holes, or, being larger, may be from a different building, or even part of a hearth. At the end of the day Anna found this lovely piece of decorated Samian pottery.

Next

Tomorrow Jezz wants to finish the current excavation work, so that next week he can cut a deep trench through the centre of Trench A. Time pressure is now being felt, as we have to finish up next Friday.