Bank Holiday Monday and the eager hordes come to Caistor. Over the course of the 3 day weekend we have had more than 500 visitors, and a number of gladiator key-rings have been sold. In terms of archaeology, trench 1 is producing lots of nice flints and there is an impression of early prehistoric activity down on the river terrace. The director, however, wants the Iron Age and Roman periods and is heard muttering dismissively about “rocks”. It is quite difficult archaeology but a story is emerging. In trench 2, good cut features are emerging and this is looking more like the sort of thing that we put in the brochure.
The church trench is also shaping up, although there have been no further sightings of the elusive slow-worm. Under the instructions of Mickey Finn the ecologist, we use a finds tray to construct a slow-worm hangout in the corner of the trench, so slow-worms who blunder in can hide from marauding birds. We hope to photograph the slow-worm soon so we can share it with you.
Action at the church trench with Sophie (Notts student) getting valuable educational experience with mattock.
A number of our visitors were metal detectorists, and we have had a few curious visits from strange white vans. If any night-hawks are reading this, we can assure them that the field has been thoroughly pillaged in the past, although if they are interested in iron nails then this is definitely the place to come. We are detecting the trenches constantly and all metal finds are lifted so there will be poor pickings for illegal detectorists.
Mick thrills to the discovery of iron nail number 293.
Tomorrow, the machine returns and we can get on with the important task of making the big trench bigger and hopefully slightly more comprehensible than it is at present. Otherwise it will definitely be ritual.
Caistor Dig 2009 