Rain...rain...rain...Gav's blog

Tuesday 27th October

Another day troweling as the fog closed in.

 

 

Wednesday 28th October

Troweling continued in the rain, but work was abandoned for the day when ground conditions became too difficult.

Thursday 29th October

We arrived in the morning under dark skies and heavy rain to find the site waterlogged. But, after cutting drains and soak-aways to reduce the water level, the final square of cleaning was carefully undertaken. The skies started to clear just as Damien Ronan arrived to record the rock art and trench by photogrammetry. This ubiquitous technique produces a three-dimensional full-colour plan within an amazingly short time. After lunch, the skies cleared and the volunteers started to investigate the small number of possible archaeological features.

 

Day three of Gav's Hawksley blog

Today troweling of the de-turfed area began.

A walkover survey of the wider area in the afternoon sadly revealed that all but three of the possible other marked stones were naturally formed. However, later troweling in the excavation area revealed patches of dark charcoal-rich deposits, possibly soil within cut features or an accumulation within a hollow.

Dark patch of charcoal which could possibly be associated with a cut feature.

We were also visited by the local Press. Martin Paul from the Teesdale mercury came out to the site in the morning and took a great interest in the rock art and the strategy behind the excavation. Keep a look out for the forthcoming article.

Paul Brown discussing his discovery of the rock art panel with Teesdale Mercury report, Martin Paul.

Gavin onsite, answering a query raised by Stephen; one of a core group of volunteers who also took part in Brignall

Hawksley Hill Days 1 and 2 - Gavin's blog

Gavin Robinson is a Snr Project Officer with NAA with over 20 years field experience; he also has a special interest in prehistoric archaeology.

Day 1 Friday 23rd October

The first day after a week of preliminary evaluation of the potential for the site went well with the volunteers clearing a good area of turf around the cup and ring marked panels. The weather was good, spirits were high.

A word from our sponsors... David Mason, with both his AASDN and Principal DCC archaeologists hats on, visits the site on Friday.

Saturday 24th October

On the second day, the weather was foul in the morning and we decided to spend the time searching the headland on which the cup and ring mark panels were located for additional archaeological remains. Further possible cup and ring-marked stones were located as well as evidence of later period of occupation including terracing, boundary banks and quarries. In the afternoon, the skies cleared and we continued de-turfing.

 

Work begins at Hawksley Hill

Work is now underway at Hawksley Hill; our second community archaeology project being run under the aegis of the Archaeological and Architectural Society of Durham and Northumberland.

 

In 2000, local archaeologist, Paul Brown, identified two ‘panels’ of Rock Art at the western edge of Hawkesley Hill, a few miles north-west of Barnard Castle . The motifs consist variously of cups, rings, grooves, isolated peck marks, and other more heavily eroded features, some of which may be of natural origin. A number of earth-fast boulders were also found in the nearby vicinity.

 

Initial fieldwork, carried out on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th October, has located and cleaned the original panels discovered by Paul. This area now awaits full recording. A small number of test pits were also excavated within the vicinity of the panels, as part of assessment work, this was aimed at evaluating the potential existence and nature of any related archaeology. The test pits have revealed what might be a ring (or semi-circle) of stone and black soil around the panels. This could be just soil collecting in the hollow, although there is every indication that they might be archaeology.

Excavation around rock art sites has been fairly limited until quite recently, but investigations in Scandinavia, Ireland, Scotland and England area now beginning to challenge our previous perceptions of how these sites was used.  There is now considerable evidence of activity associated with carved rocks sites, including pavements of mud and cobbles, often associated with large quantities of quartz. Other identified features include pits containing burnt animal bone and other charred remains.  Stone tools, quartz, and waste material has also been found jammed into surrounding natural rock fissures. While it is unclear if this material dates to the same period as the carving of the stones, it does suggest that rock art was the focus of related activities, perhaps including fire, feasting and offerings. For more information on Rock Art visit  the excellent 'England's Rock Art' website at http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/

The Hawksley Hill project will entail the detailed recording of the two known panels, using the latest photogrammetric techniques, as well an open area excavation focusing on the principal panels. The aim of the latter is to expose any related archaeological deposits which might elucidate how the rock art was produced and any activity associated with their use.

Work began on Friday 23rd October with the laborious and back-breaking task of de-turfing which was carried out with surprising speed by our excellent volunteers - well done guys, de-turfing is a job everyone hates! Over the next few days the plan is to trowel back the surface and see what (if anything) is revealed.

The Hawksley Hill project will be running until Tuesday the 3rd of November if you are interested in joining. Contact Penny at pm@naa.gb.com for further details

Final week at Brignall

Fieldwork has now finished at Brignall.

The trenches have been backfilled and the field handed back over to the sheep.

The extra final week proved essential for completing work in the trenches, allowing us to properly explore a number of unanswered questions. It also enabled us to collect further artefactual evidence which should hopefully help with the dating of the various elements of the site.

Before backfilling, a final excavation plan was drawn of each of the trenches, as well as sample sections, creating both a vertical and horizontal record of the site to help identify the sequence of deposition at Brignall. We also had the opportunity to do a little bit more geophysical survey in one of the garths adjoining the site. This may help determine if there are tofts preserved on the north side of the hollow way, as well as provide a further opportunity for our volunteers to get to grips with using the resistivity equipment.

Now the fieldwork has finished, work will begin in earnest on the post excavation processing. First all the records taken on site will be checked and indexed and a brief summary report written. Meanwhile, all of the finds will be washed, dried and, where appropriate, labelled. These will then be sent away, along with the summary report, to our various finds specialists who will analyse the Brignall pottery, bone, ceramic materials and iron. The specialists will aim to date the pottery from the site, possibly providing a date for the foundation and abandonment of the village. We should also be able to secure a broad date for the prehistoric pottery found in trench 1.

 

We will aim to keep you up to date with progress on the post excavation work. Keep checking the blog and the Facebook site for further information, including any opportunities for you to get involved in post-ex.

Brignal Open Day - Saturday 17th October

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Brignall open day last Saturday (17th October). The event was really well attended, with between 30 to 40 people visiting the site over the course of the day.

 

The signs are up and ready to go. 

Thanks especially to our stalwart team of local diggers who gave up their site cabin for the day so we could lay out some of the finds from the excavation. Charlotte, one of our busy post-excavation team, was on hand in the morning to talk through the discoveries, including a fine fragment of Neolithic or Bronze Age pottery from Trench 1. This has been one of the most exciting finds of the season as the discover of such material is very rare. However, the small shred proudly on display was trounced in the afternoon when a large piece of pottery of the same date was found onsite. We will keep you updated as to progress on the significance of these finds. After the dig is complete they will be sent for full analysis and dating.

Displays posted up on the site hut

Alongside the prehistoric material, there was also pottery, bone, glass and ironwork found in association with the medieval occupation being excavated in Trenches 2 and 3. In addition, Charlotte  brought along the NAA finds handling collection, which includes a range of material you might find on a medieval dig like Brignall. This was a particular hit with the younger visitors to the site.

 

Finds on display in the site hut. Thanks to Charlotte (above) for explaining the various finds

Out in the trenches, Penny, Martyn and our director, Richard Fraser, showed people around the site, explaining a little bit about the strategy behind the location of the trenches, the pre-excavation surveys and the progress of the dig itself. They talked to groups of very interested visitors about the various deposits and structures exposed, as well as about the process of digging. Poor Martyn was so busy in Trench 1 that he never got any time for his lunch! Thanks for your help Martyn, you did a great job.

Martyn busy at Trench 1

 

All in all, it was a very successful day and a great opportunity for local people to see what we have been up to over the past 2 week. Although we are really pleased to have secured a third week of digging at Brignall, the trenches will be backfilled on Friday, so there will not be another chance to see the site. Please do keep watching this blog, and our facebook site, for updates on the post-excavation. There should also, hopefully, be further opportunities for volunteers to take part in the finds and environmental sample processing.

 

Thanks everyone who came along and contributed to a great day

While all is coming to a close at Brignall, it is full speed ahead at Hawksley Hill. More of that tomorrow, but excavation will be beginning on the new site on Friday 23rd October and running for ten days until Tuesday 3rd November, including the two Saturdays. Excavations at Hawksley will be concentrated on exposing an area around two known pieces of prehistoric Rock Art. We have already undertaken a few test pits to inform the excavation strategy and it is all looking very promising, with indications of a possible associated prehistoric surface.

 If you would like further information on the Hawksley Hill then please contact penny at pm@naa.gb.com

Florence's Blog - End of Week 2

 

 

Week 2 is coming to a close at the Brignall Community Excavation. It’s been a good one! Over the last couple of days on site, attention has been focused towards preparing for the third week, which is now confirmed and will be going ahead, as well as for the open day TOMORROW (Saturday).

So, finds have been sent back to the office for cleaning, ready for the open day. Plans are being formulated for extensions to Trench 2, and further investigation of Trench 1 for next week. More practically, both trenches have been fenced for the safety of the visitors on the open day (and the safety of sheep thereafter).

The trenches are open to the public, and there will be archaeologists to explain what we’ve found, tomorrow between 10am and 3pm. The dig is then continuing into next week. New volunteers are, as always, welcome. The days run from 9.30am until about 4pm, depending on weather – although you are welcome to fit your volunteering around any other commitments!

Rainbow over the site as week 2 draws to a close